Estonia boasts one of the most dynamic and proficient ICT sectors.
Estonia has managed to transform itself from an unknown country with 1.3 million inhabitants into an IT technology development center of Europe.
There are two cities that stand out as important Estonian IT hubs, Tallinn taking the lead (67.5%) and Tartu as a runner-up (12.5%).
Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia, with its population 400 000, the city is the driving force of the country’s economy. Tallinn is home to about half of all Estonian companies, which are responsible for about 50-60% of GDP and nearly 3/4 of total business profit.
Estonia has been one of the most outstanding countries for its average level of education in Central and Eastern Europe.
Each year approximately 1,150 young people graduate with degrees in computer science.
The main institutions of Estonia offering IT education both state and private are as follows:
- Tallinn University
- Tallinn University of Technology
- University of Tartu
- Estonian Academy of Security Sciences
- Tallinn University of Applied Sciences
- Estonian Information Technology College
Known as the birthplace of Skype and TransferWise, Tallinn is home to a wide array of prominent foreign companies who opted to run their R&D activities there. Tallinn provides outsourcing services for numerous world-class international companies such as Ericsson, Nokia, ABB, Philips, and others.
Tallinn, the Estonian capital is also home to a science and technology park called Tehnopol, which is now helping support approximately 180 companies.
Estonia is characterized by information and communication technology that functions on the grass-roots level and connects the people with the state.
In 2000, Estonia has passed a law declaring internet access a human right. The Estonian government launched an expansive campaign meant to bring the internet to rural areas. In addition, at age 15, citizens get Estonian e-identities–granting them online access to an estimated 4,000 services, including banking, contracts, business registry, and tax services.
Thanks to the e-residency platform, Tallinn has the highest number of startups per person in Europe.
A C++ programmer in Tallinn has an advantage over all other developers, earning a net salary of €1,840 per month. Java and Objective-C software engineers are paid €1,660 and €1,644 respectively. .NET is slightly behind with wages of €1,610; Python and PHP developers make €1,407 and €1,397, respectively.
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Transport and telecommunications are well developed in Estonia. An efficient road network covers the whole of Estonia. The largest international airport in Estonia is located in Tallinn, with direct flights from many major European cities.