Tallinn, Tallinn University of Technology, 25 October 2017 – according to Prime Minister Jüri Ratas, the legislative drafting of the European Union must keep up with the developments of the fast-changing world of technology to provide its citizens with protection and new opportunities.
‘The industrial undertakings of Estonia and the world are facing a new era. Smart production, robotics, the factories of the future and Industry 4.0 practices are turning yesterday’s science fiction into today’s reality. With the help of technology, the private sector is dismantling existing industries and business models, which is why we need fast and technology-friendly regulation that would make Europe an attractive headquarters for new and growing companies,’ said Prime Minister Ratas tonight at the closing of the Manufuture 2017 conference in Tallinn.
According to the prime minister, many countries face a complicated challenge of solving the issues of adopting common rules, ethical standards and responsibility with regard to the turbulent development of the robotics sector. ‘The creation of a clear and understandable judicial area would help us think of possible consequences before actually facing them. In this regard, Estonia has a unique opportunity to keep an open mind, have a steady goal, and become the first state to develop legislation regulating the field of robotics,’ said Ratas. He added that this would be a giant leap in our judicial as well as digital culture.
In terms of future trends, the prime minister highlighted the importance of ensuring more flexible production and adapting products and services to the needs of each individual customer. ‘The governments of the digital era are expected to be as effective and as smart as the companies. The duty of the public sector is to offer citizens and companies the best possible living environment where people communicate primarily via e-services and where all parties are included in the creation process,’ said Ratas. He added that the development of digital governance would be beneficial in any case.
The international technology conference Manufuture 2017 is a forum between the stakeholders of the industry, universities, research institutions and governments, where the issues of improving the implementation of the scientific research and innovation framework programme of the EU as well as the corresponding national initiatives were discussed over the course of two days.
More information about the conference and the photos thereof are available on the website of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union: https://www.eu2017.ee/et/political-meetings/manufuture-2017.
Photos from the closing day of the conference: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yokezme5xrfz4r0/AADDqZQx2EUzZhSEQwRsUEjVa?dl=0