The Tallinn City Enterprise Service and the Department of Science Cooperation at the City of Heidelberg have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to initiate cooperation between the two cities in the fields of business development and innovation.

The aim of the partnership is to foster exchange of knowledge on sustainable urban development between Tallinn, capital of Estonia, and Heidelberg, a long-established German university city. The collaboration has a particular focus on technology-based solutions and digitalisation.

The cooperation provides the opportunity for companies to test their solutions in real urban environments in both cities.

The initiative includes the creation of a testing environment in Heidelberg based on the successful “Test in Tallinn” programme. This will enable companies to trial their innovation projects in areas such as mobility, energy, and digital services. Heidelberg will be the first city in Germany to adopt this type of testing model.

A start-up exchange programme will also be launched between Tallinn’s “Tallinnovation” and Heidelberg’s “Innovasion” initiatives.

The focus is on testing and further developing company-driven solutions aimed at tackling urban challenges – from smart energy use and sustainability to urban governance and socially impactful initiatives. The first Estonian start-ups are already preparing to pilot their innovative products and services in Heidelberg.

The cooperation is supported by the strong innovation ecosystems in both cities and, in Heidelberg, by partners such as Digital Agency Heidelberg, Sparkasse Heidelberg, and Stadtwerke Heidelberg. The first Estonian company is expected to begin testing in Heidelberg in the coming months.

Tallinn’s Deputy Mayor for Entrepreneurship, Margot Roose, emphasised the importance of international cooperation, stating that cities must act quickly and do so together. “We need to develop smart and human-centred solutions that are scalable across Europe. I’m very pleased about the launch of the strategic innovation partnership between Tallinn and Heidelberg. This kind of cooperation is essential for accelerating the testing of innovation projects in real urban environments,” said Roose.

According to Heidelberg’s Mayor Eckart Würzner, the partnership between Heidelberg and Tallinn sends a strong signal of European power of innovation. “Tallinn is one of the leading cities in Europe in the areas of innovation and digitalisation. It is important that cities cooperate, share best practices, and explore new paths, especially in these future areas. With the successful Estonian programme “Tallinnovation”, we strengthen Heidelberg as an innovation hub and the start-up landscape in our city. The cooperation helps us find innovative and forward-looking solutions that benefit the city administration and the citizens of Heidelberg,” said Würzner.

Karl A Lamers, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Estonia and long-time member of the German Bundestag, also welcomed the cooperation. He noted that Estonia has been a pioneer in digital transformation for many years. “I am particularly pleased that Heidelberg is now part of this movement – also as a bridge-builder between our two countries,” said Lamers.