Mittweida, May 5, 2021: As of today, Mittweida is one sensational attraction richer: Volksbank Mittweida eG, together with TeleskopEffekt GmbH, the subsidiary of the cooperative bank, is celebrating the opening of the first Estonian showroom in Germany: D(e)-Estonia Showroom. In Werkbank32, Estonia can now be experienced haptically and virtually, in the style of the world-famous Enterprise Estonia Briefing Center in Tallinn. The D(e)-Estonia showroom is a symbiosis of the e-Estonia Briefing Center and the location on German soil.
The D(e)-Estonia showroom was officially opened by His Excellency, the Estonian Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Alar Streimann. Due to the pandemic, the showroom was launched in a very small setting. The Saxon Minister of State for Regional Development, Thomas Schmidt, was one of the invited visitors on site: "The virtual showroom is a result of the close cooperation between Saxony and Estonia, especially with the dynamic start-up scene in Tallinn. Know-how is pooled together and new projects are initiated - always with the aim of delivering real added value for the regions. I am happy to support this and look forward to further in-depth cooperation under the umbrella of our future initiative simul+.“
Digital, workshop or learning journey
Visitors to the Mittweida showroom can experience a virtual trip to Estonia. There is a DigiExpo, live connections to Tallinn, virtual reality glasses and much more. There is a wide range of offers for groups in particular to embark on a digital learning journey:
Digital format: Perfect for getting a first impression of Estonia and its digital path. On 11.5.2021 from 13:00, the topic will be "Business opportunities for Estonian companies in the Saxony region." Further details.
Workshop format: Individual and customized Workshops for companieswho explains clearly how a vision of digitalization and innovation can bring an entire country into the future.
Learning Journey to Estonia: Organization of trips to the Estonian capital Tallinn to experience digitization live on site. Next dates: 9. - 12.06. & 6.10. - 9.10.2021 Further details.
D(e)-Estonia in the workbench32: Connection to Estonia
Volksbank Mittweida and its subsidiary TeleskopEffekt opened an office in Tallinn back in 2019. Through this local office in Estonia's Silicon Valley, Ülemiste City in Tallinn, TeleskopEffekt is already in direct contact with successful Estonian companies and stakeholders.
For TeleskopEffekt, the operator of Werkbank32, the connection to Estonia was an integral part of the planning of the innovation center from the very beginning. The subsidiary of Volksbank Mittweida has a team with an affinity for Estonia, which even has Estonian e-residents itself. In future, the trained team will tell visitors exactly where the Baltic state's digital innovation expertise lies. "We want visitors to Mittweida to be inspired by Estonia and see the opportunities offered by digitalization," says Leonhard Zintl, member of the Board of Management of Volksbank Mittweida eG, describing the aims of the showroom. "With the showroom, we are creating the opportunity to experience Estonia in Germany, especially here in Mittweida."
The topic of Estonia fits perfectly into the innovation ecosystem of Werkbank32 and the telescope effect. This is because the creators have managed to bring together innovative ideas and minds from the region, but also from Germany and internationally. In addition to Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, partners from all over Germany are part of this innovation ecosystem. Well-known and established names such as IBM Germany, CHEIL Germany, Nortal AG, Innovation Center for Industry 4.0, Crosswalk AG, Dangelmayer & Seemann GmbH, Comparus GmbH, Hanselmann & Compagnie, Reisebank AG, AteneKom and gannaca GmbH & Co. KG. But CISCO, T-Systems and Salesforce are also part of this list. All cooperation partners in this ecosystem are working to drive digitalization and innovation in SMEs and banks, making them fit for the future.
