The word "miracle" is by no means an exaggeration, as there are only 3,000 unicorns (startups valued at over $1 billion) worldwide, and the chance of a startup becoming a unicorn is a mere 0.00006 percent. Yet the Baltic states have the highest number of unicorns per million inhabitants in Europe. While this is just the tip of the iceberg, in the Baltic countries, with a total population of around six million people, the sheer size of the local market required startups to think globally from day one. And size matters, allowing startups to move faster, adapt and experiment more easily, embedded in a community where it's easy to meet people and network.

Therefore, the questions at the heart of this lunchtime debate are:

  • How can education foster entrepreneurship and what influence do the role models of successful startups have on the growth of startup ecosystems?
  • How could the full digitisation of public services, such as e-citizenship and e-residency not only make life easier but also boost the startup scene?
  • If the idea of the state acting merely as a catalyst in the ecosystem is seen as the best way to support startups, what role does light-touch regulation play in the success of the Baltics
  • How can Europe escape the Middle-Technology Trap and what role could startups play in this?
  • How are the success of Baltic startups and Europe's difficulties in supporting startups viewed from the most successful startup region, i.e., from the American perspective?

 

Panellists are:

  • Siim Teller (Lemonade Stand, Tallinn)
  • Monika Dirgince (Hostinger, Vilnius)
  • Ramón Compañó (Joint Research Centre, Seville)
  • Stephen Ezell (ITIF, Washington D.C.)
  • Petra Holm (e-Estonia Briefing Centre, Tallinn)

Moderators: Márton Tasnádi and Marcell Kovács (MCC student and researchers)

The MCC Innovation Debates are open to MCC students and the general public. The debates are organised by the Centre for Next Technological Futures (https://cntf.mcc.hu) which conducts research and provides education on the emergence of new digital technologies (robotics, big data, artificial intelligence) and their impact on economy, society and geopolitics. Particularly, it focuses on innovation economics, entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems, and recently published its book – “Startups and Robots” – including papers of CNTF’s researchers and students.