Climbing 77 places compared to 2018
Tallinn has achieved 10th place in the Innovation Cities: Small 200 Index, which evaluates the innovativeness of cities with fewer than one million residents. The city has made a significant leap in rankings, climbing 77 places compared to 2018. This improvement is attributed to the city’s comprehensive digitalization efforts.
According to Joosep Vimm, Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, such an achievement acknowledges the city’s consistent efforts in fostering innovation. “This accomplishment highlights Tallinn’s role in the global innovation landscape and shows us that we are moving in the right direction in terms of innovation and digital development. Creating a better breeding ground for innovation and providing support contributes to the development of our businesses, offers new solutions to the city itself, and creates a more fertile entrepreneurial landscape. We have made significant progress in digitizing city services and have supported the community and businesses in this endeavour. Our ambition is to lead in innovation and serve as an example for others,” Vimm stated.
The Innovation Cities: Small 200 index provides valuable insights into how smaller cities can outperform their size in innovation and development. Amsterdam tops this list, followed by Tel Aviv, Basel, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Québec City, Rotterdam, Gothenburg, Geneva, and Tallinn. In addition to various innovation indicators, Tallinn’s success is attributed to the city’s and Estonia’s global recognition for digital solutions and e-government.
The index utilizes 162 indicators across 31 categories, including culture, transportation options, technology, taxation, and sustainability, offering a comprehensive assessment of the cities’ innovation potential. The complete list of rankings can be found here. In the global ranking of 500 cities, Tallinn holds the 102nd position, with Tokyo leading the list. Helsinki ranks 39th, and Riga 256th.
The international data innovation agency 2thinknow has been publishing the rankings since 2007.
