Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip San Jose Visit Promotes Ties Between Silicon Valley and Estonia

SAN JOSE, CA, Dec 01 (MARKET WIRE) --
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and members of the San Jose City Council Friday,
Nov. 30, warmly welcomed Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip to the Capital of
Silicon Valley. Ansip, along with the Honorable Vaino Reinart, Ambassador of
the Republic of Estonia to the United States, spent the afternoon with Mayor
Reed, members of the Community and Economic Development City Council
Committee and San Jose officials. Discussions focused on key economic
development initiatives that have propelled San Jose and Estonia as global
leaders in technology and innovation.

"San Jose is honored to host Prime Minister Ansip and his delegation. The
evolution of Estonia as one of the most dynamic economies of the European Union
is
a remarkable success story. We are pleased that Estonia and Estonian
entrepreneurs -- through Enterprise Estonia -- have chosen San Jose as their
West Coast landing pad to establish strong relationships with other top global
technology companies here in the Silicon Valley," said Reed.

Estonia is considered one of the most technologically progressive
countriesin Europe -- with one of world's most advanced telecommunications
infrastructures. As a
testament to the country's commitment to innovation, the popular Internet phone
application Skype, now a part of eBay, was developed in the Estonian city of
Tallinn. In Estonia, web-based services for doing business are provided both by
the government and the private sector are widespread, with 98 percent of banking
transactions made electronically. More than 80 percent of income tax filings
by individual citizens of Estonia were filed electronically in 2006, and 65
percent
ofthe population uses chip-based ID cards.

Later in the afternoon, Prime Minister Ansip ceremonially opened
EnterpriseEstonia, a new "tech embassy" in Downtown San Jose. Located at the US
Market Access Center, an international business incubator sponsored by the
City of San Jose's Redevelopment Agency, Enterprise Estonia will
facilitatethe needs of Estonian businesses and entrepreneurs.

"As a crossroads for global talent, innovation and capital, San Jose is
delighted to be aligned with the Estonian entrepreneurial spirit and to have
the Enterprise Estonia Technology Embassy in our Downtown. Estonia and San Jose
have similar characteristics: a workforce with a progressive technology culture
and
intellectual vigor that drives innovation. By building strong ties with
each other, we will both grow our economies here and throughout the world,"
Reed said.

Enterprise Estonia Technology Embassy, will also provide financing,
counsel,
partnership opportunities and training for entrepreneurs and research and
development institutions. With offices in Helsinki, London Stockholm, Moscow,
St. Petersburg, Hamburg, Kiev, Shanghai and now San Jose, Enterprise Estonia
was founded in 2000 by the Ministry of Economic Affairs with the aim of
promoting
the competitiveness of the Estonian entrepreneurial environment and Estonian
businesses and is one of the institutions responsible for the implementation
of EU structural funds in Estonia.

About the US Market Access Center

The US Market Access Center (US MAC) is the leading gateway to the United
States
for international companies. The US MAC, formerly the International Business
Incubator, was established in 1995 to attract international firms to San Jose
and to help them enter the U.S. market. Located in Downtown San Jose, the US
MAC
offers home office and business development services, including extensive
research
and consulting services, to international companies. The US MAC is operated and
managed by the San Jose State University Research Foundation in partnership
with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency.

About the City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development

The City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development (OED) is committed
toa vital, competitive San Jose economy that increases prosperity for people and
companies and enhances City revenues. The Office guides the City's economic
strategy, provides assistance for business success, helps connect employers with
trained workers, and provides art and cultural resources to our community.
For more information, please visit, www.sjeconomy.com.

About the City of San Jose

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a
leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the
largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the
world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S.,
is ranked the most competitive knowledge economy by the World Competitive
Knowledge Index. San Jose, home to Cisco, Adobe, eBay, BEA, Xilinx and
Cadence, is the most diversified innovation-based economic community, spanning
seven core technology sectors, with 1,500 of the 2,500 largest technology firms
in the world located within 30 miles of Downtown San Jose. The City's economic
strategy focuses on small companies and start-ups with potential to become
global leader and is complemented by the largest comprehensive incubator
program in the nation, including the Software Business Cluster, Environmental
Business Cluster, US Market Access Center for international business, and San
Jose BioCenter. For more information, visit, www.sanjoseca.gov.

Contact
Steven Brewster
(408) 535-8168
San Jose Office of Economic Development
Email Contact

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