Estonia is making its mark on the German digital market with a charming application: the EU country with arguably the most advanced administration in Europe is symbolically submitting its “digital resume” on October 1, presenting itself as the ideal partner for Germany’s digital transformation. The campaign “The Best CV You’ll See This Year,” initiated by Enterprise Estonia, sums up Estonia’s digital competence: fast, secure, scalable – and proven in practice.

Because what is still being discussed as a vision of the future in many countries has long been a reality in Estonia. Since January 2025, 100% of all government services have been available digitally – from starting a business to filing tax returns to getting an online divorce. Estonia shows how a state can function efficiently, securely, and in a citizen-friendly manner. With its campaign, the country invites German partners from administration, business, and IT to benefit from these experiences – not theoretically, but in a very practical way.

A convincing CV – digital and proven in practice

“Estonia’s administration is now completely digital – we see this not only as a national success, but also as a model for international cooperation. With our campaign, we want to show how digitization can work in a spirit of partnership and in a practical way – even across borders,” said Lauri Luht, Government CIO of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs.

At the heart of the campaign is the landing page tradewithestonia.com/ict-germany, where Estonia presents its digital portfolio: designed as a CV with skills, references, and concrete examples of application. Estonia’s key strengths include:

• Cybersecurity and data sovereignty: Estonia is one of the leading nations in the field of cybersecurity. The state infrastructure is based on a highly secure data backbone, which NATO and the EU also use.
• Digital identity: Every Estonian citizen has a digital ID that can be used to complete administrative procedures, contracts, and banking transactions online in a legally secure manner – conveniently and within minutes.
• Cloud-based e-government systems: Government services are modular, interoperable, and cloud-enabled—a model that can be transferred to other countries.
• Use of artificial intelligence: Many government agencies use AI for process automation and data analysis—in compliance with European data protection standards.
• Cross-industry solutions: Estonia exports its digital expertise in the fields of health, finance, logistics, education, and energy.

German-Estonian cooperation as a path to the digital future

With this campaign, Trade Estonia is deliberately targeting the German market. While Germany has been investing heavily in digital administration and infrastructure in recent years, many studies (e.g., eGovernment MONITOR) show that implementation and user-friendliness often fall short of expectations.

Estonia offers not only inspiration but also concrete solutions. Many Estonian companies—including long-established partners in the DACH region—have extensive experience in digitizing public processes and developing secure, user-centered platforms.

“Estonia may seem small, but its ideas and mindset are immensely exciting. In a completely digital society with analog social structures, it is clear to see how success can be achieved quickly and cost-effectively in much larger societies. The decisive factor is not the technology, but the approach to implementation and consistent focus on end users and their digital needs. There is a reason why so many globally successful start-ups come from Estonia,” said Martin Rebs, CEO of Nortal Germany.

GOOD TO KNOW

Accompanying measures in Germany

The campaign will be accompanied by a series of targeted PR and networking activities:

• A high-profile expert roundtable at the end of 2025 will bring together German and Estonian decision-makers from administration, business, research, and the media.
• Digital advertising materials with tongue-in-cheek slogans such as “The best CV you’ll see this year” or “The CV that CIOs love” ensure visibility on specialist portals and in digital media.
• Technical articles, interviews, and background discussions with Estonian experts offer German media insights into Estonia’s digital structures and best practices in digital transformation.

This content is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

Are you interested in trading with Estonia? Enterprise Estonia is providing sourcing services for foreign enterprises. Contact Estonian export advisors or use our free e-consulting service to start trade with Estonia.