Estonian president at Dresden business forum: Europe must strengthen its competitiveness

TALLINN - Estonian President Alar Karis, who is on a visit to Germany, opened the Estonia-Saxony Business Forum in Dresden on Wednesday, where he emphasized that Estonian companies are deepening cooperation with German partners and stressed the need to strengthen Europe's competitiveness.

The promotion of economic cooperation was also discussed during Karis' meetings with Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer and Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter.

Karis said that Germany is one of Estonia's most important trade partners.

"Our companies cooperate in engineering, mobility, digitalization, defense, timber construction, and energy. German companies bring scale and engineering precision to these partnerships. Estonian companies contribute speed, digital flexibility, and innovation. Together, we form a strong team," the Estonian head of state said.

At the forum, Karis also addressed broader economic issues, underlining the importance of defending international free trade.

"In an increasingly uncertain global trade environment, we must remain vigilant in upholding the principle of open markets. The recent US tariff policy is a stark reminder of how fragile global trade can be. Trade restrictions are bad news for exporters in both Germany and Estonia -- our economies rely on openness, trust, and predictability," he said.

Karis noted that Estonia has always stood for free trade.

"At the same time, we understand that regardless of how global trade policy evolves, Europe must strengthen its competitiveness," the president said, and welcomed Germany's decision to take bold steps to support and stimulate its economy. "These measures will also open new business opportunities for companies across the continent, including in Estonia."

The president emphasized the need to invest in strengthening Europe's internal market and capital markets.

"We need to create a more unified European market. A truly integrated internal market would give European businesses the scale needed to compete globally. A deeper and more efficient European capital market would allow innovative industries to grow faster and help translate scientific breakthroughs into commercial success in Europe," he said.

Karis said that education is at the heart of Estonia's long-term strategy.

"A society's competitiveness depends on how well it can educate its people. Starting from the next academic year, Estonia will launch a national initiative to bring artificial intelligence tools into schools. We will train teachers to use AI in the classroom. The goal is to develop education alongside technology and prepare students for a world where AI is an integral part of life and work," the head of state said.

He noted that there is significant potential for cooperation with Germany at the intersection of education and technology.

"German and Estonian companies and public institutions could work together to develop and expand educational technology solutions that serve both our societies and global markets," he said.

The president cited as a good example an agreement between Estonian and German entrepreneurs under which the Estonian company Praktikal and Germany's Mastersolution AG have established a joint venture, Koolest Solutions GmbH, to collaborate with Julius Mosen Gymnasium in Oelsnitz. The aim is to test and implement new digital tools for teaching science and mathematics at the school.

The business forum brought together Estonian and German companies seeking new partnerships or already working with partners in fields such as digitalization, electronics, industrial processes, and public service development.

The business delegation accompanying the president includes Insta Globe Engineering, Gofore Estonia, Praktikal Education, Proekspert, NOTE Pärnu, CGI Estonia, Net Group, Skeleton Technologies, Nortal, and ADM Interactive, as well as the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce and the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency.