Go West, Follow-up article

Martinson: in up to 90 percent of business regions, we are in Eastern Europe.
First published Postimees 21 June 2010

In risk capitalist Allan Martinson's evaluation, we are for most people, generally, an Eastern European country and to become a Nordic country will take at least a generation.
Abdul Turay wrote in today's Postimees an opinion piece that in Europe, Estonia is beginning to be considered separately from the rest of Eastern Europe and is becoming more a part of the Nordic countries.

In Martinson's view the firms' structures and ownership relationship are on the one hand structurally Baltic and on the other hand leaning to the side of the Nordic countries.
“We have very many important firm still with a Baltic structure. Managers go between Riga, Vilnius, Helsinki or Stockholm.

“In economic thinking we are a part of Eastern Europe. In Europe we are to in business regions, as far as 80-90 percent of people are concerned, an Eastern European country. To Americans we are all one Europe. In a lot of places, we are not even on the map,” noted Martinson.
In Martinson's evaluation the world will change the next few years significantly and geographically grouping should not be the only way for Estonia to define itself.

“In a changing world there is a chance a totally new group of country will arise which define themselves largely by on image of high-value; countries which are quickly to move and quick to adapt, innovative and can surprise.

In my opinion with the next few years the world will change significantly and these geographical grouping won't be the only way how to define yourselves. There'll be more focus on high-value countries who like Tigers can innovate and surprise,” noted Martinson.
In his evaluation it would be useful to identify ourselves through geographic regions where someone takes up an identity and then we say that we also want to be this. The opportunity is to take up an identity which suit us more.

“When our economy per capita begins to account to 70-80 per cent of a Nordic country then we can start in this way to measure up. By this time we will possible seem different and think different,” commented Martinson.