The industrial enterprises have invested the total of 122 million kroons with the help of the technology investment programme of Enterprise Estonia opened in autumn last year. The grant co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund makes approximately 50 million kroons of it, i.e. one fifth of the total volume of the financed applications has been paid out.
"The entrepreneurs carry out the planned investments regardless of the difficult economic situation," Pille-Liis Kello, the director of the Enterprise Capability Division, said. The investments have been fully carried out by Sunorek AS, Leab Eesti AS, Metre OÜ, Balti Spoon OÜ, E-Profiil AS, Temper OÜ, Maru Metall AS, B-plast AS and Norcar-BSB Eesti AS.
For example Norcar-BSB Eesti As, the main activity of which is the production and distribution of small loaders, tractors and industrial lines, acquired the welding robot with the help of the grant. The company exports almost the whole production to the countries of the European Union. "Our objective was to achieve the automated, stable high quality work. We have also started the creating of own planned and designed products," Jaak Ojandu, the Manager of Norcar-BSB Eesti AS explained the use of the grant. The purpose of the technology investment support for the industrial enterprises is to favour the investments which contribute to the increase of productivity and export potential of the industrial enterprises, search new distribution opportunities and create the workplaces with higher added value.
The decisions of the first round of the technology investment support for industrial enterprise were confirmed by the management board of Enterprise Estonia at the end of the last year. 49 companies received the support in total amount of 259 million kroons, approximately 50 million kroons of which have been currently paid out.
The companies could submit the applications to the second round with the financial volume being 320 million kroons from the end of March up to the beginning of May. "When in the first round the sum of applications exceeded the budget of the round two times, the interest has now increased even more and the applications exceed the budget of the round three times," Kello said. Approximately 170 companies submitted the application to the second round, by applying the total of 900 million kroons of support. The total volume of planned investments including the self-financing is approximately 3 billion kroons. Also the average applicable sum has increased - in the first round this was approximately 4 million, now this is over 5 million kroons per project.
The applications have been submitted by the companies of each county. Just as in the first round, the companies of Harjumaa are most numerous among the applicants - slightly more than half of all applicants. The companies of Tartu and Ida-Viru county follow and less than 10 applications are from all other counties. As to sectors most interest is shown towards the grant by the metal industry companies who make one third of the applicants. The timber industry companies and rubber and plastic producers follow.
The financing decisions of the second round will be made in July.
The technology investment support can be applied by the small and medium sized company the field of activity of which is industry, for the implementation of the industrial investment project: for the acquisition of plant and equipment and for obtaining of the intangible assets needed for their use. Also, the joint application can be submitted. The size of the self-financing is 60-80% depending on the size of the company. The more detailed information has been provided in www.eas.ee/tehnoloogiatoetus.
The information on the financed projects is available in the database of the projects supported on the website of Enterprise Estonia:
http://www.eas.ee/index.php/toetatud-projektide-andmebaas/toetatud-projektid-alates-2004a-aprill.
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