Welcome to e-Estonia: Where Virtual Residents Outnumber Newborns
IMF Blog, September 14, 2018
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- Welcome to e-Estonia: Where Virtual Residents Outnumber Newborns
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Bibliographic details
- Authors: The Editors
- Published: September 14, 2018
Digitalization and efficiency
- Estonia has integrated digital services into “nearly all aspects of life we lead: as a citizen, an entrepreneur, a government official,” according to Siim Sikkut, Estonia’s Chief Information Officer.
- The primary motivation and outcome of Estonia’s digitalization is efficiency: saving time and money by doing things “the digital way.”
- Digital delivery of public services has helped boost public-sector performance and public trust in the state as an institution.
Start-up ecosystem and the Skype effect
- Estonia’s digital environment has supported the emergence of start-ups; entrepreneurs are often “born in Estonia” rather than merely attracted there.
- Investment in science and research, plus an easy business environment and low bureaucracy, are cited as factors creating fertile ground for entrepreneurs.
- Skype’s origins in Estonia (created there in 2003) contributed experienced entrepreneurs who demonstrate that companies can scale globally from Estonia.
e-Residency and scale
- Estonia has “35,000 now” e-residents.
- “Each week we are getting more e-residents than are babies being born,” says Siim Sikkut, highlighting rapid uptake and international interest.
- E-residency allows anyone in the world to virtually become Estonian, which Sikkut links to job creation, revenue generation, and growth for the country.
Cybersecurity and trust
- Cybersecurity is identified as “one of the biggest challenges for e-Estonia”; combating hackers and thwarting viruses is a daily priority.
- Trust is presented as paramount: “Without trust, we won’t have the users, and we can’t build up the efficiency gains we have seen.”
- The Estonian government’s delivery of efficiency and cybersecurity has helped build citizens’ faith in government despite global trends of declining trust.
Media format
- The content is presented as an interview/podcast with Siim Sikkut describing Estonia’s road to becoming a digital nation.
The Editors, September 14, 2018 — Welcome to e-Estonia: Where Virtual Residents Outnumber Newborns
