AI and Green Transformation Summer Workshop at EBS Examines Potential Developments
The Estonian Business School (EBS) is set to host its fifth International Summer School on Digitalization and Sustainability from August 11 to 15, 2025. This year's event promises to be a vibrant gathering of experts, policymakers, and graduate students from across the globe, all coming together to discuss the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and sustainability.
The programme emphasizes the potential of AI as a powerful accelerator of the green transition. It explores how AI can be integrated into public policy, business strategies, and long-term planning to drive sustainable innovation. AI is shown to drive sustainable innovation primarily by optimizing resource use, reducing waste, and enabling smarter decision-making in various sectors such as energy, agriculture, and waste management.
For instance, AI-powered energy management systems can reduce energy consumption by dynamically adjusting usage, as seen in Google’s data centers with a 40% energy savings. In agriculture, AI helps with precise crop planning, monitoring, and reducing chemical use, promoting more sustainable farming practices. AI can also optimize waste collection routes to lower emissions and improve recycling rates.
Estonian Business School's summer programs are known for fostering connections between AI and sustainability. These programs typically offer educational programs, workshops, or projects that integrate digital technologies with sustainability challenges. They aim to prepare students to apply AI-driven innovations that address environmental and business objectives, enhancing their capacity to drive sustainable innovation in real-world contexts.
The summer school will feature 60 global experts, policymakers, and graduate students from 22 countries. Notable speakers include Sigrid Rajalo, Director of the Innovation and Technology Department at the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, who will address similar themes from a national perspective. Sandra Reivik, who has trained over 1,000 professionals in Estonia to use AI tools effectively, will lead a workshop on practical AI applications to enhance competitiveness and employee development.
Yoko Alender, Chair of the Environment Committee in the Estonian Parliament and former Minister of Climate, will present Estonia's progress on the green transition. Paul Spörl from McKinsey & Company will showcase a business case for digital innovation. Nobel Prize laureate Bengt Holmström (MIT) will deliver a keynote on the role of debt in the digital transformation of finance. Shahab Anbarjafari, Chief Data Scientist at PwC Finland, will share expertise in AI, computer vision, and machine learning.
Mait Müntel, Founder and CEO of Lingvist, will speak from an entrepreneurial perspective. Strong ties to the international business community are a hallmark of Estonian Business School's interdisciplinary education approach. The Summer School concludes with graduate student presentations outlining scenarios and strategies for combining AI development with the green transition.
This year's Summer School includes scenario planning workshops, field visits to the Estonian Parliament and sustainable companies such as Vaat Brewery. Daniel Salamone, President of Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), will speak about launching technology ventures through university-industry collaboration. Ave Schank Lukas, Acting Head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia, will discuss implementing the EU's twin transition strategy.
The Summer School builds on Estonia's reputation as a leader in digitalization. It is an exciting opportunity for attendees to learn, network, and contribute to the discourse on how emerging technologies, particularly AI, can drive sustainable innovation. For specific details on Estonian Business School’s summer offerings in AI and sustainability, direct program descriptions or the school’s website would be needed.
- The Estonian Business School (EBS) aims to prepare students for sustainable innovation by offering educational programs that integrate digital technologies with sustainability challenges, particularly focusing on AI-driven innovations that address environmental and business objectives.
- Sandra Reivik, a notable speaker at the summer school, will lead a workshop on practical AI applications aimed at enhancing competitiveness and employee development, contributing to the education-and-self-development aspect of the event.
- The summer school event will showcase a business case for digital innovation, as presented by Paul Spörl from McKinsey & Company, demonstrating how technology can play a crucial role in business strategies and long-term planning for a greener future.
