Lessons from two Smart Nations: Germany & Estonia

COOPERATION links between Singapore, Germany and Estonia continue to grow steadily, marked by several commonalities, such as successful startups, an open business environment, as well as strategic value creation through entrepreneurial innovation.

This impression was confirmed during a recent study trip to the capitals of Germany (Berlin) and Estonia (Tallinn) with 27 Singapore Management University (SMU) undergraduates last month with the theme "Coping with Digital Transformation".

Besides examining general aspects of business management and digital change, a key objective was to expose Singapore youth to some of the secrets of Germany's and Estonia's economic dynamism: Germany's operational (engineering) excellence and sustainable mobility solutions, which enable export-oriented multinationals such Daimler Benz to continue their global market leadership role in the automotive sector; and Estonia's digital leadership in the area of government e-initiatives and cybersecurity.