SmartCap and the Estonian Defence Forces have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen information exchange between SmartCap’s Defence Fund and the Force Transformation Command, and to accelerate the integration of innovative defence technologies into Estonia’s defence capabilities.
The expanded cooperation aims to support innovation in the Estonian defence industry, identify investment opportunities, and help address emerging security challenges more rapidly.
Under the agreement, the parties will broaden the systematic sharing of information on Defence Forces’ needs, companies developing defence technologies, and investment opportunities. This step will enable faster assessment and testing of solutions that could strengthen Estonia’s defence capabilities, while also improving efficiency, coordination, and the speed of decision-making.
“The Force Transformation Command has been a key partner for SmartCap’s Defence Fund since its inception. This new agreement will make our cooperation even more substantive and comprehensive, ensuring that we operate within a shared information space and work towards the same goals,” said Sille Pettai, CEO of SmartCap.
“The input and assessments we receive from the Defence Forces on the maturity, applicability, and suitability of various technological solutions help us better understand the ability of companies in the Defence Fund’s deal flow to address current capability gaps and evaluate their export potential. At the same time, this information exchange gives the Defence Forces visibility into and access to outstanding defence industry companies across Europe and the wider NATO alliance,” she added.
Major Ivo Peets, Commander of the Force Transformation Command, sees closer cooperation as a long-term process in which building a shared understanding is essential. “From the Defence Forces’ perspective, developing a practical cooperation model with SmartCap is a necessary step to ensure faster information flow, up-to-date awareness of new technologies and companies, and — through testing various options — the integration of the best solutions into our defence capabilities. There is also significant potential within the Estonian defence industry, and a more deliberate approach to harnessing it will strengthen both national defence and the sector’s international competitiveness,” he said.
The primary objective of SmartCap’s Defence Fund is to develop the Estonian defence industry and build innovative defence and security capabilities. The Defence Fund contributes to Estonia’s economic growth and improves defence companies’ access to domestic capital by investing in defence-focused funds and in companies that develop or manufacture military or dual-use products and technologies.
The primary mission of the Force Transformation Command is to consolidate and maintain an up-to-date overview of developments in military affairs and technology, and to identify the innovative solutions the Defence Forces need as a whole. The Command focuses primarily on initiating and managing development projects, coordinating the entire process of addressing capability gaps, from precisely defining requirements through to integrating thoroughly tested solutions.