When exploring what exciting work TalTech has done in the space sector, the usual response is always the satellites Koit and Hämarik. However, the work with Koit and Hämarik is by no means the only space-related project at the university.
scientific collaboration
An idea born in the lab can change the world – but only if it makes it out of the lab. Mart Maasik, a TalTech alumnus, partner at Nordic Science Investments and an experienced developer of science-based entrepreneurship, knows just how challenging that journey can be.
“It was a complete shock,” recalled Tanel Alumäe, head of TalTech's Laboratory of Language Technology, when he first experienced the astonishing ability of large language models to understand and generate language.
Olesja Bondarenko, co-founder and CEO of the Estonian startup Nanordica Medical and a TalTech alumna, won second place in the European Union Women Innovators Competition in the Women Leaders category, organised by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). She was awarded for her special therapeutic wound dressing.
There are thousands of apartment buildings in Estonia that are in urgent need of renovation, yet the daunting nature of the process often prevents people from taking the first step. This is precisely the problem Renokratt aims to solve – a smart tool designed to make renovation planning easier.
In the global push toward sustainability, one of the most promising yet underutilized natural resources is lignin. Traditionally regarded as a low-value byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, lignin is now at the forefront of innovative research aimed at transforming it into high-value products.
With climate change intensifying natural hazards like floods and snowstorms, cities worldwide must enhance resilience. A research team from TalTech and PUCRS, in collaboration with partner cities and commercial stakeholders, is developing a Natural Hazard Resilience Toolkit to improve crisis management through better communication and data integration.
Imagine a city where the invisible world hidden beneath streets and buildings is mapped and integrated with innovative urban planning. TreeCity, one of the finalists of FinEst Centre for Smart Cities's Smart City Challenge 2024, offers exactly this.
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.
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.