On Saturday evening, the Best Estonian Companies 2023 awards gala recognized the most noteworthy companies — the title of Company of the Year was awarded to the Tartu biotechnology enterprise Icosagen Cell Factory, which, among other things, has developed a nasal spray called Bioblock that combats the coronavirus.
“Icosagen is one of the most research-intensive companies in Estonia. They create extremely high added value in economic terms, but what is more important — thanks to their work, people have a healthier and better life,” Sigrid Harjo, a member of the management board of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, said.
In addition to the Company of the Year title, Icosagen was also crowned as the Innovator of the Year.
“They have developed unique technologies for the development and production of biological molecules, with which they provide services to the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. A new drug manufacturing facility is also soon to be completed, which represents an entirely new level for the entire Estonian biotechnology sector,” Harjo said.
Arto Aas, CEO of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation and a member of the jury, explained that Estonian business needs and seeks success stories like Icosagen’s.
“Icosagen is an exemplary instance of how the fruits of Estonian scientists’ work service society through entrepreneurship and break through in international competition. Such research-intensive companies serve as examples that investing in innovation and development activities pays off,” Aas said.
“Staying afloat in a changing environment and stimulating the economy is in itself a remarkable achievement that all enterprising individuals deserve recognition for. Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of courage and proactivity, especially in recent years, when entrepreneurs have been tested by various challenges. Today we are awarding business prizes to only a small part of Estonian entrepreneurs, but this expresses respect for all entrepreneurs and enterprising people,” Toomas Luman, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said.
The Company of the Year was selected from the best competitors in the Entrepreneurship Award competition by the Business and Innovation Agency and the Employers’ Confederation, and in the Competitiveness Ranking competition by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Source: BNS
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