Author:
Mirjam Savioja

Research to support just transition in Ida-Viru County

The population and business structure of Ida-Viru County has been shaped mainly by the oil shale and manufacturing industries with a high environmental footprint. In order to support the technological, economic and societal transition to a cleaner, more research-intensive and high-tech development path in Ida-Viru County, a consortium of 22 research groups has been established in cooperation between Tallinn University of Technology and the University of Tartu. 

The European Union's Just Transition Fund will finance both business diversification and, in partnership with research institutions, the enrichment of the region's R&D, continuing education and retraining opportunities. With the support of the fund, the consortium between Tallinn University of Technology and the University of Tartu will carry out 22 research projects over the next six years to develop technologies relevant to the region, monitor societal transition processes and analyse governance models. 

The lead partner of the consortium is Tallinn University of Technology. 

Completion period of projects: 2023–2029 

Funding: With the support of the European Union's Just Transition Fund and the Estonian state, the consortium has a budget of €35.7 million. 

The work of the consortium's research teams is divided into four research focuses.

Renewable energy and distributed solutions

Digitalisation of industry and big data

Critical raw materials and chemical refining processes

Transition monitoring and analysis of management models

The Just Transition Fund consortium's research is funded by Estonia and the European Union through the support measure “Support for increasing the knowledge intensity of business in Ida-Viru County: developing the provision of research capacity in Ida-Viru County for the creation of a research and development network”.