![]() ![]() The networking service was not limited to Estonia and Latvia, as the project also worked with local companies to help them market their products beyond the Baltics and into, for example, Scandinavian countries. Together, the two companies quickly developed several prototypes of a new validation unit. For example, when T Grupp AS needed a new-generation ticket validation system for their busses, ProtoLab introduced them to Teadusmosaiik. Thus, when a company was in need of a service, they could call on ProtoLab’s dense network of contacts and refer the client to a relevant service provider. Far-reaching benefitsĪccording to project organisers, the key success of the ProtoLab Network was its ability to establish connections between similar companies and, in doing so, develop a true network of joint services. One of the project’s most popular post-production services was its ability to connect a company with a market-ready product to another company within the ProtoLab Network looking for that very product. For instance, the project helped companies develop and implement marketing strategies, arranged in-company pitching opportunities, helped with creating branding platforms, web-pages and leaflets, and organised participation in key regional trade fairs. Once a company had a product in hand, they could again turn to the ProtoLab Network for support with dissemination and marketing. However, the project’s services were not limited to product development. The project also provided ongoing training and learning opportunities, including arranging cross-border company visits, sessions on product development and various roundtable discussions with local entrepreneurs, business leaders and academia. ProtoLab Network served as a hub – a one-stop-shop for strategic documents on collaboration, analysis of existing and future company needs, sourcing specialised skills, and for making new contacts through networking. Specifically, the project introduced a cross-border platform for networking and knowledge transfer, with a focus on key aspects of product development and prototyping, such as concept development, CAD/CAM engineering, 2D and 3D visualisation and modelling, rapid prototyping, as well as testing and quality control. To build on this momentum and boost entrepreneurship around the Baltics, the ProtoLab Network aimed to build a competency centre to provide local entrepreneurs and start-ups in Estonia and Latvia with specialised support in product development and access to state-of-the-art engineering equipment. From Skype to Transferwise and many others, the case can be made that Estonia is Europe’s answer to the USA’s Silicon Valley. When it comes to entrepreneurship and innovation, Estonia has a reputation for punching above its weight. ![]()
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