It’s the mission of Ülemiste City to develop an international, attractive, knowledge-based working, development, and living environment that increases the competitiveness of individuals and companies, brings talents home to implement their potential, and inspires the birth of new business models.

Twenty years ago, when Ülemiste City’s founder and visionary, Ülo Pärnits, began developing a smart future city, he could not have imagined that two decades later, the campus would become Estonia’s third-largest economic hub – a home to 400 forward-thinking companies and 18,000 international talents from 73 countries. And this is just the beginning.

This year’s Ülemiste City Future Forum is dedicated to business growth, celebrating companies that have embraced the Ülemiste City’s vision and recognizing their outstanding achievements at the year’s most significant business event.

Among the many successful companies on campus, several have stood out with exceptional growth and innovation, including Rush Street Interactive Development, Diotech, Marabu Airlines, International School of Tallinn, Xdata Group, BTA Baltic Insurance Company, Kaupmees Group, Health Tests, and Nabuminds.

On April 24, one of these companies will be honored with the fastest-growing company award.

Ülemiste City’s Growth Environment in Facts

• In 2023, the total revenue of companies in Ülemiste City exceeded €2.4 billion, with exports surpassing €1.2 billion. The district’s impact on the Estonian economy has grown significantly and rapidly.
• Labor taxes paid by Ülemiste City companies account for more than 4.2% of all labor taxes paid by Estonian businesses.
• The ICT and telecommunications sector employs 35% of Ülemiste City’s workforce and generates 45% of the total added value generated on campus.
• Exports constitute 80% of the sales revenue of Ülemiste City’s IT companies (EMTAK 62), contributing approximately 25% of Estonia’s total exports in this sector.
• Since 2015, the share of Ülemiste City companies in Estonia’s total exports and added value has more than doubled.
• The number of full-time equivalent jobs in Ülemiste City has grown from 5,900 in 2015 to 16,600 in 2022 – an increase of more than 2.5 times.
• Companies that have been operating in Ülemiste City for over three years demonstrate significantly higher efficiency metrics compared to others.