Business Chief Europe Magazine November 2018 | Page 58

CITY FOCUS | TALLIN

Boasting a population of around 1.32mn people , the country has been ranked as the 14th easiest place to start and operate a business , according to the World Bank Group ’ s rankings . But should you head there for work or consider operating a business in this Baltic business hub ? Business Chief investigates .

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With the nation commonly dubbed as ‘ e-Estonia ’, Tallinn prides itself on being a digital stalwart . In 2000 , the country passed a law declaring internet access as a human right and from that , it has put forward a campaign to bring the internet to rural areas . Over the past few decades , the country ’ s digital transformation has been in hyperdrive : when Estonia gained independence in 1991 , only half of the country had a phone line yet , by 1997 , 97 % of Estonian schools were online . Fast forward a few years later , and Estonia would continue to make history , becoming the first nation in history to offer e-residency . Useful for businesses , this government-issued ID is available to anyone in the world ,

NOVEMBER 2018