University of Tartu debunks myths about deep tech entrepreneurship at Startup Day
29–31 January sees the 9th Startup Day business festival. The University of Tartu will showcase its entrepreneurial research activities in the demo area, discuss the myths of the deep tech business on the main stage, and lead and organise seminars and side events.
According to Mihkel Tammo, Head of Entrepreneurship at the University of Tartu, higher education institutions, including the University of Tartu, have an important role to play in improving the competitiveness of not only Estonia, but the whole of Europe, and this requires bringing together the academic and business worlds.
Entrepreneurship without science is just business, and it does not necessarily make the world a better place. However, one of the inseparable components of research-intensive business is the benefit for society.
Speaking at the opening event, Vice Rector for Development Tõnu Esko said startup developers live and work to make dreams come true. “I also have a dream – that Estonia would have 500 deep tech companies by 2030. To this end, the University of Tartu is on a mission to develop students’ and researchers’ entrepreneurial mindset and support experienced entrepreneurs with a scientific approach."
Main programme
31 January at 14:00–15:00 at the Insight stage, a discussion on burying myths “From Lab to Market: Debunking Myths in Deep Tech Commercialization” will include Kärt Tomberg, CEO and co-founder of ExpressionEdits Ltd, Dmytro Fishman, Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Tartu and co-founder of Better Medicine OÜ, and Martin Koppel, partner at 2C Ventures OÜ. The discussion will be moderated by Mihkel Tammo, Head of Entrepreneurship at the University of Tartu.
On the same day, from 13:00 to 13:15 a presentation on the possibilities of life extension technology “Magic Pills, Precious Rings & Three Drops of Blood: Unveiling the Truth About Longevity Technology” will be given by Taavi Tillmann, Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Tartu.
Seminars
The University of Tartu will organise two seminars at Startup Day on 31 January.
At 11:00, pitch coach Gleb Maltsev will speak on his seminar “The Art and Science of Pitching [Deep Tech Edition]” about how to present a complex text in just three minutes. Gleb Maltsev has spent the last ten years perfecting pitches for start-ups. Having listened to, watched and coached thousands of presenters, he knows how to write, deliver and visualise a presentation in a way that delivers the desired results.
At 12:00, the seminar “A Hundred Choices: A Discussion Game About Ethics to Clear the Air in Work Environment and Enhance Teamwork” will have Triin Paaver and Anu Tammeleht present a value-based game created at the UT Centre for Ethics and talk about how to use it to improve the working environment and teamwork.
Demo area
At the Startup Day demo area, the university will focus on interactive activities showcasing research-based entrepreneurship and the university’s services.
At Startup Day, Tartu Observatory will present Estonia's first deep space instrument OPIC, developed as part of the European Space Agency's Comet Interceptor mission. This marks the first time that Estonia has taken the lead in the development of a deep cosmos instrument. In addition, the observatory will showcase machine-learning-based landscape navigation capability, Estonia's first lunar rover, and and student-led satellite projects shaping the future of space exploration.
The Institute of Computer Science will present some of the great work being done at the Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality Lab in the demo area. Under the guidance of the lab's students, visitors will be able to take part in Psyrreal, a virtual reality experience mimicking the effects of psychedelics. They will also be able to play computer games created by students, including the University of Tartu-themed game Tiksu-Toksu. In addition, you can learn about the Institute's Industry collaboration opportunities, study programmes, upcoming events, and much more. It's definitely worth stopping by!
The Institute of Technology will bring a robot barista to the demo area lounge. It is a UR5 robot manipulator programmed by the institute's roboticists to make coffee.
Interns from the University of Tartu’s neuromarketing lab will demonstrate the work of the eye-tracking lab, featuring the best eye-tracking capabilities in the Baltics. You’ll have the chance to try out eye-tracking glasses, which enable researchers to precisely analyze people’s gaze patterns on computer and mobile screens, as well as in physical and virtual environments. In addition, there will be a fun competition testing participants’ ability to mimic emotions—how closely can you match the expressions you see?
Microbe and material interaction research group led by Professor Angela Ivask will present antimicrobial coatings applicable to high touch surfaces in public spaces. The group has developed technology to create antimicrobial components for coating both hard surfaces and textiles. The research group also offers a service for antimicrobial efficacy testing and activity evaluation in application-relevant conditions.
The research group led by Professor in Experimental Physics Marco Kirm will welcome entrepreneurs and researchers who want to develop new materials and technologies using modern research methods. The physicists will share their valuable knowledge on the application of synchrotron and neutron radiation in research and development projects, and give advice on the development of energy production and storage materials, and optical materials. They will also talk about how those interested can carry out their research at the European centres of excellence for synchrotron and neutron radiation in Sweden (MAX IV Laboratory) and Germany (FZ Jülich Laboratory).
A team from the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will be present at the demo area to discuss issues such as establishing business partnerships or working with research-intensive companies. Those interested can learn more about intellectual property, licensing and other knowledge transfer issues.
Also on display at the demo area is the third-generation car Solaride developed initially at the University of Tartu, which took the team to third place at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia at the end of October 2023.
Pitching
On 31 January at 9:50, the UniTartu Deep Tech Pitch Match will take place, where research-intensive companies of the University of Tartu and the best student teams of Delta X will compete against each other.
Side events
Startup Day will also feature several side events. On 29 January at 15:45, the Institute of Computer Science will organise a data science seminar “Triple-Helix Collaboration on Data” at the Delta Centre.
On the same day, from 11:00 to 16:00, an event on putting research into practice “Research into Reality” will take place at Humal restaurant, organised by the University of Tartu in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Estonian Research Council. Students will present their research that can help develop the digital state and solve private problems in partnership with the public and private sectors and higher education.
On Thursday, January 30, the Institute of Computer Science is organising a workshop in collaboration with EIT Urban Mobility and Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn titled “Futures Bazaar: Exploring the Future of Sustainable Urban Mobility for Liveable Cities”. We invite students, mobility experts, public and private sector practitioners, academia, and citizens interested in shaping the future of urban mobility to join us at the Delta study building Sandbox room for interesting discussions.
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