The Tallinn business incubator (Tallinna ettevõtlusinkubaator) has also got a new leader, Eve Peeterson, who starts work on July 6 after being the successful candidate in a recent competitive process.

The organization recently moved into its new home on Poldri tänav in the ferry harbor area, in a building whose extensive revamp came with a €6-million price tag

The business incubator is owned by the City of Tallinn, which also provides nearly €1.3 million annually to support its operations. City leaders are looking for a more effective business plan, and the Poldri tänav property is considerably bigger than needed for the incubator in its current form, Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) said.

"The current business incubator model is significantly smaller than what would be needed to fill all four halls of this building, not to mention the smaller workspaces. It would make sense to bring additional city functions into the building so that as many residents as possible can benefit from this impressive property," Järvan said.

The Tallinn business incubator has been in operation for 20 years now. More than a thousand startups have passed through its portals during that time.

"Our claim is that a company can gain a two- to three-year acceleration—reaching the market faster, achieving growth more quickly, or adapting, reinventing itself, or finding synergy with others. There are many possible paths," said Anu Lõhmus, a board member with the incubator.

The Poldri property was transformed by architects firm Lumia, from an aging industrial warehouse into an airy, modern facility with "something of an atelier or studio feel to it, with its own atmosphere," said Margit Aule, Lumia interior architect.

The interior primarily features the work of Estonian designers, and some elements from Baltika Quarter's former premises have also been repurposed, while the lighting solution is intended to echo the ideal trajectory of the transformation of a small time entrepreneur into the owner of a big business, designers said.

The incubator had previously operated in rented premises and is now in Poldri 3, near Reidi tee and the Nautica shopping mall. The organization will also rent out around 220 square meters of commercial space on top of the roughly 280 square meters it will use itself, for conferences and seminars.

When the move was announced, some market experts argued the city could have secured cheaper premises due to high office vacancy rates and a trend towards remote working. City officials said owning the building allows better use of space and improved incubation services compared to rented offices.

The business incubator is a city-established support center and aims to provide programs for start-up entrepreneurs to help them get to market more quickly. Mainly by providing affordable workspaces, mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.

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