On May 8, the 12th OIXIO Inspiration Day took over the entire Telliskivi Creative City. The event has grown to a scale where a single venue is no longer enough. This year, Inspiration Day brought together more than 800 technology leaders and decision-makers. For one day, Telliskivi Creative City became OIXIO City, and it couldn’t have been a better fit.
The day began at 8:30 with morning coffee and continued until close to midnight. The hours were filled with Tech Club, Executive Club, Digital Leaders Club, Inspiration Club, dinner, an afterparty, and countless conversations that continued over a glass of wine and on the streets of OIXIO City.
Pre-Event: OIXIO x Kopli Sörk
The mission of Inspiration Day is to help save the Estonian economy. But technology and efficiency are not enough. The real drivers behind this mission are people. That idea set the tone for the warm-up event held the day before: OIXIO x Kopli Sörk, a 5 km community jog that brought together light-footed participants.
Kopli Sörk and OIXIO Inspiration Day have more in common than it may seem at first. Both grow organically. A neighbour invites another, no one is left behind, the community expands naturally, and in the end, the right people always show up.
The jog was followed by a conversation evening at Von Krahl, featuring Kopli Sörk founder Andres Reimand and Estonia’s top alpine skier, Tormis Laine. Topics ranged from goal-setting to proteins and carbohydrates. Laine spoke openly about working on his mindset and coping with competitive pressure. His key advice was: “Be present. Think about what you can do right now to give yourself the best possible chance.”
Tech Club: Is Europe a Digital Colony of the US?
Early on May 8, IT managers, architects, system administrators, CTO-s, information security leaders, and other deep-tech specialists gathered at Von Krahl to hear more about the latest technology news. Opening remarks for Tech Club were delivered by Jüri Reitsakas and Harri Uljas from OIXIO IT, who outlined the agenda and shared insights on quantum computing.
Tech Club continued with a heated debate moderated by Hannes Rosenberg (OIXIO Digital): Is Europe a digital colony of the United States? On stage were two railway-sector technology leaders – Alvar Soome (Rail Baltic Estonia) and Tõnu Tammer (Eesti Raudtee). Tension filled the hall as the sides of the debate were decided live on stage by a coin toss.
Alvar Soome’s role was to argue that Europe is dependent on US technology. His message to the audience was that we need a plan B because the risk is not merely theoretical. According to Soome, every critical technology should have a secondary back-up solution that organisations can switch to when needed.
Tammer countered by reminding the audience that Europe’s role in technology is far from insignificant. ASML, Linux, Europe’s industrial capability and strategic technology decisions are just a few examples showing that Europe is highly competitive. The real question is whether we are able to join forces.
The debate ended on a note of cautious optimism. Europe has not missed the train, but finding alternatives to office software, cloud platforms, and security tools isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s also about people, habits, and reliability.
At the end of the debate, Hannes Rosenberg summed it up: “The world is not always black and white. What matters is understanding business interests and asking whether we could make US technology secondary and replace it with European alternatives when necessary.”
The day continued with fast-paced Pecha Kucha presentations from Lenovo, HPE Networking, Extreme Networks, Fortinet, Thales, Cisco, Allied Telesis, Altacom, Nokia, CrowdStrike, ExtraHop, and Dragos. Topics ranged from data centres and networks to cybersecurity, AI-era risks, IT/OT, and industrial security. After lunch, Tech Club went deeper, with workshops across four rooms taking a deeper dive into networks, cybersecurity, data centres, data protection, and IT/network services.
Executive Club: Implementing AI, Processes and the Future of Financial Management
Executive Club started at midday and shifted the focus to questions no leader can avoid today: How to apply AI so it can actually create a business value? How to turn processes into meaningful stories? And where Estonian financial management is heading?
On the main stage at Von Krahl, Piret Masing (OIXIO Digital) led a session on data and AI strategy. The key takeaway was that AI adoption starts with structure. Buying Copilot licenses alone changes nothing. Real impact comes when management decides to approach AI strategically.
In a parallel session at Erinevate Tubade Klubi, Indrek Sabul (OIXIO Advisory) and Kaarel Suuk (EBS) explored how to turn processes into meaningful stories. Even the best processes and technology will fail if people do not understand why they are doing things or how their work is connected to organisational goals and customer experience. Sabul stressed that a meaningful process is not a slogan – it is a shared journey towards the finish line. He used Võhandu Marathon as an example: conditions may be unpredictable, and the boat may behave differently each time, but people keep showing up because shared purpose outweighs fear.
The third Executive Club session featured Hele Hammer from EBS, who presented findings from a survey of more than 150 Estonian CFOs. She highlighted that much of the work in finance is still done manually, largely because companies lack the time to redesign their processes. Ironically, automation is exactly what would free up that time. Hammer advised starting with changes that require minimal effort but deliver high impact.
Digital Leaders Club: 90 Minutes to Avoid a Bad Future
Pärastlõunal kogunes Erinevate Tubade Klubis eksklusiivne Digital Leaders Club, mis pani juhid tegema mõtteharjutust: kujuta ette, et on aasta 2031 ja Eesti majandus ei ole teinud vajalikku arenguhüpet. Mis läks valesti?
The session was led by Karl-Ingemar Viilver (Coop Pank) ja Janno Siimar (Velvet), For 90 minutes, leaders worked intensively in groups, debating what must be done today to avoid waking up in 2031 with nothing left of Estonia’s success story, and realising that we have become an average adopter of technology rather than a creator of value.
The message that emerged from Digital Leaders Club also sums up Inspiration Day as a whole: saving Estonia’s economy is not someone else’s project. Real change happens when we take responsibility and act together – as a community with influence, knowledge, and the will to make a difference.
Inspiration Club: Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone
At 3 PM, Inspiration Club brought the entire OIXIO City crowd together at Von Krahl. The session was opened by OIXIO Group CEO Ivo Suursoo, who said a successful event needs three things: good ideas, learning, and emotion that helps people retain new knowledge. To prove the point, Suursoo asked everyone to stand up. Because quite often, our comfort zone is the chair we are sitting on.
The same metaphor was carried by a bus stop placed on the Von Krahl stage. Moderators Marek Astover and Madis Sõnajalg explained that if we want to move forward, we must at some point step off the bus that just keeps driving in circles.
Opening Words by President of Estonia Alar Karis
Inspiration Day was opened by President Alar Karis, who also presented the title of “Inspirer of the Year 2026”. This year, the recognition went to Arvo Pärt – a composer who has created his own unique musical language and touched people all over the world. The award was accepted on his behalf by Anu Kivilo, CEO of the Arvo Pärt Centre.
In his opening remarks, President Karis emphasised the importance of role models and the power of education. He noted that young people are the ones who help create tomorrow’s wealth, and that education is one of the best ways to change the world.
About Leadership, Communication, and the Future
Next on the Von Krahl stage was leadership trainer Kaido Pajumaa, who asked the audience a direct question: What would you do as a leader if your employee suggested that you attend leadership training? He shared real-life examples of good and not-so-good leadership practices, showing what it means to be a leader who can truly bring people together around shared goals.
He was followed by Jevgeni Kabanov (Bolt) and Mait Tafenau (TalTech), who discussed when self-driving vehicles will arrive on our roads and how work will change in a world where AI capabilities are developing rapidly.
The official programme concluded with Mart Koldits (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre), who spoke about the art of delivering a clear message. You may have brilliant ideas, but if you present them in the wrong order, clarity quickly turns into confusion. Being right is not enough – you must guide the listener. His advice was to start with an example, move to generalisation and arguments, and only then land the message.
OIXIO City Was Buzzing from Morning Until Late Night
In addition to practical sessions and workshops, Inspiration Day was a true experience in itself. Participants were welcomed in the morning by a street musician playing accordion – the same musician people might recognize from Balti Jaam. Throughout the day, people moved between Von Krahl, Fotografiska, Erinevate Tubade Klubi, and other OIXIO City locations, meeting partners, exchanging ideas, and connecting with new and familiar faces. The day ended at Fotografiska with a dinner, music, and afterparty featuring tech-driven Minimal Viable Band (MVB) – fronted by Jevgeni Kabanov and Reigo Ahven.
Alongside discussions and meetings, the NEXPO area included a pop-up store featuring Dell, Lenovo, Anker, and Logitech. There, the conversation moved smoothly from ideas to action – technology was not just on display, but was also available for testing and exploring, adding a tangible “wow” factor to the inspiration.
This time, Inspiration Day took place for the 12th time. What began in 2022 as a small gathering has grown into a community of more than 800 people – a place where people meet, ideas emerge and new collaborations begin.
As the quote goes: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Perhaps that feeling is exactly why Inspiration Day has grown so much over the years.
Thank you to all participants, partners and speakers who filled OIXIO City with sharp ideas and positive energy. Thank you to the local businesses who opened their doors and made workshops, meetings, and discussions possible. Days like this only happen when an entire community shows up together.
We hope the feeling you took with you while leaving OIXIO City late at night fuels your next decisions and the steps that move Estonia’s economy forward.
See you next time!
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