On Monday, September 8th, representatives from Metrosert’s Applied Research Center and Estonian Military Academy Defence Technology Development Group met to discuss cooperation in strengthening national defence capabilities. The aim of this collaboration is to assess and complement the strengths of both organizations, creating synergy to develop critical national areas such as unmanned vehicles and their energy solutions.
According to Indrek Tulp, head of Metrosert’s Applied Research Center, it’s particularly important for a country like Estonia to approach complex issues collaboratively. “Joint action creates value for the entire sector,” Tulp stated. Metrosert’s labs and accumulated expertise are unique in Estonia, and it’s crucial to be aware of each other’s activities and capabilities to ensure the best opportunities for cooperation and joint development, avoiding duplication.
“This meeting was important to discuss how we can jointly offer significant support to the state and Estonian companies in enhancing defence capabilities,” added Rainer Kivimäe, head of drone technologies at Metrosert’s Applied Research Center.
At the meeting, Metrosert presented its focus areas for applied research: biorefining, health data, autonomous vehicles, hydrogen technologies, and drone technologies. Estonian Military Academy, in turn, introduced its directions, which focus on developing applied research capabilities for nationally important activities.
The parties acknowledged that they complement each other excellently in different parts of the value chain. While Metrosert focuses on product development, testing, and creating technical capabilities, Estonian Military Academy helps find applications for these developments in national defence, moving technologies from laboratory conditions into environments relevant to the end-user, thus advancing the technologies further.
It is clear that further cooperation between the KVA Defence Technology Development Group and Metrosert’s Applied Research Center is extremely important, and through joint efforts and coordinated activities, we will be able to further enhance the development of Estonia’s defence technology sector.
