Battery technology needs more environmentally friendly solutions, as the graphite currently used in batteries burdens nature heavily. One eco-friendlier alternative is to replace graphite with carbon materials produced from carbon dioxide. The industrial doctorate, created in collaboration between chemist Mirjam-Kim Rääbis, TalTech, and UP Catalyst, contributes to the development of such materials.
innovation
In Estonia, cross-sector collaboration is gaining momentum thanks to SekMo, the Intersectoral Mobility Support measure, which enables researchers and top specialists to move between academic and non-academic fields. During the first round, which concluded last year, €5.9 million was allocated to 65 projects to accelerate innovation and research-intensive solutions across various sectors.
At the sTARTUp Day 2025 festival in Tartu, the highest recognition went to SafePAS – a startup founded by TalTech Associate Professor Jekaterina Mazina-Šinkar. The company is developing Drug Hunter, a portable device for rapid drug detection.
The mountain-like oil shale ash heaps of Ida-Virumaa have long been a part of Estonia’s landscape, symbolizing both industrial heritage and environmental impact. But what if they hold a hidden treasure?
Researchers at TalTech, in collaboration with environmental services company Ragn-Sells, are developing innovative technologies to transform these waste materials into valuable resources, giving them a new purpose and sustainable future.
Estonia's future depends on the balanced development of scientific and applied research, the implementation of high technologies, and the ability of the Tallinn University of Technology to bring innovation into industry and international collaboration networks.
Artificial intelligence represents both a challenge and an opportunity, as it is transforming science, education, and everyday life. TalTech's AI lead, Sven Nõmm, emphasizes the need to find the best possible balance between promoting innovation and adhering to ethical principles.
The focus of future innovation policy should not be narrowly economic, but on broader societal benefit.