The Estonian Embassy in Berlin has opened a business hub on its premises, aimed at supporting Estonian companies entering the German market.
“Estonia and Germany share close economic ties, particularly in the timber sector, digital affairs and cyber security, tourism, and increasingly also defence. Introducing Estonian culture and cuisine often helps open doors. Our new business hub offers Estonian companies practical support in building contacts and developing relationships with German partners,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said at the opening ceremony.
The event also featured Estonian construction company Matek, which has become one of Germany’s leading firms in factory-based renovation of apartment buildings, having renovated 23 buildings to date. “We are the first company from the Baltics to offer general contracting services in both renovation and new construction. Our landmark project is an 8,000-square-metre, €25 million community centre in Bavaria, set to be completed next year,” said Sales Director Kaarel Väer.
He added that the company’s next goal is to scale its general contracting services in the timber construction sector and find partners to build and renovate apartment blocks using Estonia’s top timber construction expertise.
“Export advisers from EIS and the Estonian Embassy in Germany have been incredibly helpful, and with the opening of the new business hub, their support will continue,” Väer confirmed.
He encouraged Estonian companies eyeing the German market to be patient and emphasised that the best results come from strong teams made up of both Estonians and Germans, driven by consistent product development and flexibility.
Tactical Foodpack relocated its production to Germany three years ago and now employs 22 people in Hilden, Western Germany. “The reason was simple — Germany is one of our key target markets, and it’s the hub for logistics and sales across Central Europe. One of our focus areas is large defence procurement, and it quickly became clear in discussions with the Bundeswehr that we wouldn’t be taken seriously unless we were physically based in Germany,” said CEO Sverre Puustusmaa.
He noted that the company’s focus is gradually shifting from military and rescue markets to civilian sectors, and they are actively seeking distributors in Germany. “We recently conducted a major survey among our fans and found that people would be happy to buy our products in everyday grocery stores like Aldi or Rewe. We’re also building relationships with other institutions — from the military to care homes — where our products are a perfect fit,” Puustusmaa explained.
He added that the Estonian Embassy in Berlin is a vital contact point for Estonian companies looking to grow in Germany. “The business hub provides a formal venue for meetings and events. It’s a great platform for Estonian brands to become visible and trusted in the German market, where the key words are trust and consistency,” said Puustusmaa.
To mark the opening, the embassy hosted two sector-specific events: a seminar on timber construction and green technologies for real estate professionals, and a roundtable on digital and cyber topics for industry experts and journalists.
German participants included Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche and Minister of State for Europe Gunther Krichbaum.
The business hub was funded through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility “NextGenerationEU”.
Photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/albums/72177720330332534/
Yesterday, the Foreign Minister also met with his German counterpart in Berlin (press release link): https://vm.ee/en/news/foreign-minister-tsahkna-berlin-europes-resolve-and-germanys-leadership-are-key-ukraines
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