The small European nation of Estonia is looking to expand its global influence through an "e-residency" programme, allowing anyone worldwide to apply to become an e-resident of the country and set up a company there.
This would mean that people outside the EU could set up an Estonian company over the internet and gain easy access to the European market. E-residents of the Baltic country have access to all the digital government services of a state that prides itself on being a pioneer of e-government.
Key points:
- Estonia was one of the first countries to declare internet access to be a human right
- 99 per cent of government services are available online 24/7
- 50 new AI applications are set to go online within the public sector by 2020
Walking through the fairy-tale streets of Estonia's capital Tallinn, it may seem hard to believe that this tiny nation is home to one of the most advanced e-governance systems in the world.
Estonia has earned a reputation as the world's most advanced digital society, with over 99 percent of its public services now available online.
Estonia has earned a reputation as the world's most advanced digital society, with over 99 percent of its public services now available online.
Read more: How Estonia set a global benchmark for e-government
Ott Velsberg, Estonia’s fresh-faced, 28-year-old chief data officer, is on a mission put AI into every part of the country’s public services, from healthcare to education and job centres.
“The aim is to make government more proactive and responsive to people’s life-events,” says Velsberg. Instead of citizens having to apply for things like driver’s licences and school places, he envisions a system where public bodies can anticipate and preemptively respond to the needs people have at different stages of their life.
Expats voted Estonia to the top of their digital life quality list in a new survey.
InterNations, a social network for expats, recently conducted a global survey to gauge the perception of digital lives enjoyed by those living in a foreign country. 68 countries were featured. Although most of the findings confirmed the conventional wisdom, the report also threw up a couple of surprises.
Read more: Estonia is best digital home away from home, report says