Enterprise Estonia supports the development of Cell Treatment and Furniture Industry Clusters
Enterprise Estonia decided to support the development of Cell Treatment and Furniture Industry Clusters, which operate as cooperation projects between scientific institutions and economic operators. Together with these, the number of full clusters that Enterprise Estonia is supporting has already reached 13. The program for the development of clusters is funded from the instruments of the European Regional Development Fund.
Cell therapy or cell treatment is a sub-domain of regenerative and aesthetic medicine. The treatment is based on the idea of replacing tissue, which was destroyed during the case of cell use, and accelerating the regenerative process by transferring healthy cells to a sick organ.
The mission of the Cell Treatment Cluster is to develop the domain of regenerative medicine and cell treatment into the flagship of Estonian biotechnology exports. Firms participating in the Cell Treatment Cluster are creators, introducers, producers, users and service providers of innovative treatment methods and technologies.
"The Cell Treatment Cluster wants to develop a cell therapy medical centre in Estonia, which would have international scope, by consolidating the competence in Estonia and in the Baltic Sea Region and by bringing together the firms, educational and scientific institutions and public sector organisations operating in this domain in this region," explained Tiiu Evert, Manager of the Cluster Development Program.
The project has 13 partners, including Protobios OÜ, Cellinn Technologies OÜ, Biolaborid OÜ, E-Geen AS, Labas AS, Medco Partners OÜ, Taastava Kirurgia Kliinik OÜ, Ortopeedia Arstid AS, Kevelt AS, Vähiuuringute Tehnoloogia Arenduskeskus AS, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu, and the Tartu University Hospital. Enterprise Estonia supports the cluster with the sum of EUR 495,585, which is 70% of the applied for amount.
The Furniture Industry Cluster is the second cluster to receive support. In 2010, furniture was produced in Estonia with a value of EUR 329 million, of which furniture worth more than EUR 260 million was exported. "The furniture industry, with its higher added value final products from forest resources, is an important branch of the economy for Estonia, having a positive trade balance for the last five years," said Tiiu Evert, Manager of the Cluster Development Program.
The cluster's mission is to increase the competitiveness of the Estonian furniture industry, which is expressed in active joint marketing and export development. The project has 14 partners, including Bellus Furniture OÜ, Standard AS, Kalla Mööbel OÜ, AS Sarkop, Pinea OÜ, Tarmel Furniture OÜ, Brain Team OÜ, OÜ Ermatiko, Estonian Furniture Industry Association, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Association of Designers, NGO Estonian Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Association, Tallinn Construction School and the Valga County Vocational Training Centre. Enterprise Estonia supports the cluster with the sum of EUR 666,400, which is 70% of the applied for amount.
In the period from 2009 to 2011 Enterprise Estonia has supported the development of 13 full clusters in the total amount of EUR 5.6 million.
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