Metrosert has established sector-specific advisory boards within its Applied Research Center to ensure impartial and comprehensive expert knowledge in five key areas of applied research.

Photo: Metrosert’s Applied Research Center launch on May 8, 2024

“The advisory boards act as a dynamic platform, bringing together leading experts from academia, industry, and the public sector,” said Indrek Tulp, Head of Metrosert’s Applied Research Center. “Their mission is to provide invaluable expertise and guidance for our research and development initiatives, ensuring that our projects remain at the forefront of technology and meet the needs of industry.”

According to Tulp, the advisory boards guarantee that diverse perspectives and deep professional expertise are applied in every field. “Metrosert’s goal is to foster forward-looking solutions and support cross-sector collaboration. By involving thought leaders from various fields, including public sector, industry, and academia, we aim to solve complex problems and shape Estonia’s innovation landscape in these breakthrough technologies,” Tulp added.

Metrosert’s Applied Research Center supports Estonian companies in tackling technological challenges by providing infrastructure, expert knowledge, and networks in five fields: biorefining, health data, drone technologies, hydrogen technologies, and autonomous vehicles.

AS Metrosert is Estonia’s central metrology institution and applied research center, providing services in metrology, certification, and research and development. Since 1919, Metrosert has served as a bridge between business and science.

Comments from Metrosert’s Applied Research Center Advisory Board Members:

“Our Opportunity to Reach the Global Top”

Mart Loog, Director of the Institute of Technology at the University of Tartu, Professor of Molecular Systems Biology, and member of Metrosert’s Biorefining Advisory Board:

“Europe is already lagging behind the U.S. and China in major new technologies, but there is one area where Europe has a chance—protein production through fermentation. It may come as a surprise to many that, according to the recent Good Food Institute Europe assessment, nearly 50% of the world’s fermentation-based protein production capacity is located in Europe. Additionally, the global market for meat protein and its fermentation-based alternatives is expected to double by 2050. Estonia has strong expertise in fermentation across its three research universities as well as business and industry capabilities (TF-TAK, Lallemand).

Our Finnish partners, with whom the R&D Center is actively collaborating, are very proactive in this area. A European network with a critical mass of local scientific expertise offers Estonia a chance to reach the top in this industry. The biorefining pilot plant is a visionary and necessary step for Estonia, and it is crucial that universities and industry experts are involved in these developments through advisory boards. Substituting meat with fermentation-based proteins is no simple task—it requires serious applied scientific work, and this is exactly why the R&D Center was established.”

“Applied Research Fills the Gap in Estonia’s Hydrogen Technology”

Rainer Küngas, CTO of Stargate Hydrogen and member of Metrosert’s Hydrogen Advisory Board:

“When we look at the commitments Estonia has made regarding green transition goals, it currently means we would need to import large quantities of technology. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Estonia has several emerging and rapidly developing hydrogen technology companies that could provide a significant portion of the required technology and even turn Estonia from a hydrogen-technology importing country into an exporting one. A crucial part of the hydrogen technology development process is thoroughly testing products under working conditions to ensure their reliability and safety. Metrosert’s Applied Research Center has a key role in this area in Estonia.

I’d like to highlight that, in addition to Estonian experts, the Hydrogen Advisory Board also includes Dr. Subhash Singhal, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a highly respected applied scientist. The prestigious composition of the board shows that hydrogen-related applied research is important for both Estonian companies and scientists, and that the new Applied Research Center is filling a crucial gap in this field in our region.”

“Results Come from Collective Synergy”

Jaan Tamm, Head of the Aviation Cluster and member of Metrosert’s Drone Technology Advisory Board:

“No one doubts that Estonia has numerous talented entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists who, by harnessing the opportunities of our rapidly digitizing society, can achieve remarkable results in the international development and use of unmanned aerial vehicles. The challenge for the new center is to harness this potential by organizing cooperation among various stakeholders, experts, and specialists so that the result is commercially viable services for partners and clients, and synergy for the industrialization of new technological solutions.

In this process, several questions need to be addressed—how to ensure sufficient demand and commercial viability for the center’s services, protect partner companies’ intellectual property while gathering valuable ideas, and wisely mitigate the risks associated with launching a new organization.

It’s a great honor to be part of the advisory board of this new organization, but it also comes with the responsibility to contribute to its successful start using my knowledge and experience.”

“Health Data Has No Value if Not Used”

Kristiina Sepp, Health Technology and Services Lead at the EAS and KredEx joint organization and member of Metrosert’s Health Data Advisory Board:

“Health data has no value if not used (up to 97% of health data is not used). Applied research in the field of health data is crucial for Estonia, as it helps improve the quality of healthcare services, supports innovation in the sector, fosters the development of patient-centered health technologies, and drives economic growth.

The advisory board includes top experts, entrepreneurs, and scientists who bring the expertise and experience necessary to develop the services needed by health technology companies. This will enhance the international competitiveness of Estonian health technology companies and increase their contribution to the country’s economy.”