Exploring Estonia’s Digital Future: A Day at Ülemiste City

On June 5, 2025, our seminar mainly focused on exploring diverse digital opportunities. As part of the program, participants had a chance to visit Ülemiste City – one of Estonia’s leading hubs for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The day began with an insightful introduction by Ljudmilla Pihel, the talent manager at Mainor Group (the company behind Ülemiste City’s development). She shared the fascinating story of the hub’s evolution, highlighting key innovative practices and strategic approaches that have shaped its success.

This was followed by an interesting entrepreneurial journey presented by Jana Lorens, who spoke about her transition from working as a nurse to founding a company dedicated to supporting young parents. This is a great example of how personal experience can drive impactful companies.

Participants then gained valuable industry-specific insights from Daniel Antonov, a co-owner of Fredo Restaurants, who shared lessons learned from operating restaurants within Ülemiste City and beyond. He made a specific focus on survival strategies during crises.

After lunch, the group visited the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, where Petra Holm, a digital transformation advisor, delivered an inspiring talk. Her presentation traced Estonia’s milestones to becoming one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world – offering both strategic context and motivation for the entrepreneurs in the room.

The seminar concluded with a session by Jelena Zhovnikova, a content expert and co-lead of the project, who provided an overview of AI tools and further insights into Estonia’s digital landscape.

Participants left energized and full of ideas, inspired to integrate digital strategies into their own business development paths.