Tallinn offers both Estonian and international companies the opportunity to use the city as a testbed for their sustainable, smart city solutions. On October 16, the latest round of applications for the Test in Tallinn program was evaluated, with four out of five projects moving forward to the testing phase.

“As part of the Test in Tallinn project, both local and international companies are invited to test innovative solutions in the city. The result of these tests is that residents benefit from the latest technological solutions, and companies receive feedback on the strengths and development potential of their products or services,” said Margot Roose, Deputy Mayor for Business Affairs. “Compared to many other cities, Tallinn has taken a step further by including, in addition to the city institutions network, organizations such as sports clubs and companies like AS Tallinna Sadam and AS Tallinna Lennujaam,” Roose added.

According to Mark-Emil Talivere, innovation expert at Tallinn Strategic Management Office’s Entrepreneurship Department, more and more international companies, including tech firms founded by Estonia's e-residents, are interested in using Tallinn’s infrastructure as a testing environment. “The products and services submitted for the competition are becoming increasingly diverse with each round. This time, both residents and visitors to the city can actively participate in the real-life testing of new solutions,” said Talivere.

So far, 28 innovation projects have been launched as part of the Test in Tallinn program. In the latest application round, selected projects include a drone detection sensor network solution, video editing software for sports footage, a digitalization solution for buildings and construction sites, and a baggage transport solution using bicycles and scooters.

Estonian company HexTech Solutions aims to develop spoofing protection technology for both civilian and military drones, record drone air traffic, and test the weather resistance of the devices through its drone detection sensor network solution.

Italian company TheBellboy S.R.L will test a solution in Tallinn that enables the use of bicycles and e-scooters for transporting hand luggage, offering a sustainable design for first- and last-mile transportation between airports, ports, and train stations.

Estonian company SoFutu plans to test its VisioTag software, which accelerates and improves video tagging and processing. Users such as sports analysts, media producers, and content creators will help validate and refine the first version in real-world conditions.

New Zealand-based Sensori Systems will test its SaaS solution, which facilitates precise documentation of buildings and construction sites through 3D data and imaging using an ordinary video camera, simplifying and speeding up building digitalization.

Tallinn supports innovation project testing in the urban environment for up to 12 months on a case-by-case basis. To develop and pilot innovative solutions, the city offers assistance in finding suitable locations (city properties, sites, buildings); helps connect projects with relevant city authorities and contacts for validation and implementation; and, when possible, provides open data needed for test projects.

Applications for the Test in Tallinn program can be submitted at any time, with the innovation committee meeting and selecting new collaboration projects quarterly.
More information can be found on the website: www.tallinnovation.ee.