The Case of Helsinki-Tallinn (Finland-Estonia)? Regions and Innovation: Collaborating Across Borders

Download or read book The Case of Helsinki-Tallinn (Finland-Estonia)? Regions and Innovation: Collaborating Across Borders written by Claire Nauwelaers and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Estonia and Finland have centuries of collaboration, mainly between the capital areas of Tallinn and Helsinki that currently account for 2 million inhabitants and USD 76 billion in economic output. The entry of Estonia into the European Union and, since the mid-2000s, a two-hour ferry trip, have both facilitated flows of people and merchandise across the Gulf of Finland. The different levels of development between Helsinki and Tallinn result in many asymmetric flows (workers to Helsinki, tourists to Tallinn). Beyond infrastructure and labour market issues, there are interesting opportunities for joint innovation policy efforts given their shared strengths such as in ICT, a dynamic start-up environment and technologically sophisticated public services. Cross-border collaboration can help build an "entrepreneurial knowledge region" brand. This case study is part of the project Regions and Innovation: Collaborating Across Borders. A summary of this working paper appears in a report of the same name.