“The landscape of the Baltic economy is shifting, and with it, the initiatives designed to support its growth must also evolve.”

CORE Summit founders Samuel Põldaru (CEO) and Marek Truumaa (Programme Manager) sat down to open the story and rationale for the pivot.

“Our previous business model was simply not sustainable anymore. As economic uncertainty has increased, companies are primarily motivated by export readiness, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation – initiatives with direct correlation to ROI and the bottom line. We believe that a company that cannot survive the energy crisis or wage inflation cannot create a positive impact. No organism can survive long-term by giving out more energy than it takes in.”

What Sets CORE Summit Apart?

Marek outlined three critical elements that set a new standard:

“First, we’re moving to an attendee-centric design. We’ve looked at the ‘core product’ and stripped away anything that doesn’t provide direct value or high-level networking. We have formed an Advisory Board with experts and decision makers from different fields to make the program present what the Executives need discussed and solved.

Secondly, we’re focusing on practical outcomes. Yes, we’ll have the executive overviews, but a lot of the programme will feel more educational. You’ll learn skills and strategies you can take back to your office and implement on Monday morning.”

We believe that structural threats can only be solved by bringing private and public sector together into an open collaborative discussion.

So our third differentiator is a chance to share your views in live votes, ask questions and meet the decision-makers in person.

As a participant you will not be a passive learner, but an Executive forming the trajectory of the Baltic’s next decade.

Baltics is small enough region to collaborate to export and grow stronger together like we stood in singing revolution – now forming economic alliances. You can make international contacts in any business event, but our promise is “15 new connections without any small talk”. We achieve it by:

• Curating a small discussion after every session on the topic with closest peers.
• Creating thematic lunch tables to discuss the topic most important for You during the lunch breaks and form new alliances.
• Informal evening program
• Brella networking app to match only based on shared interests/sector.

That makes our fourth differentiator to replace small-talk and salesy elevator pitches with meaningful conversations and warm, memorable connections.

Five Pillars of Change: The Core Summit Agenda

When asked to prioritise the most critical topics, Marek shared the focus areas:

“We have five content pillars, all of which are necessary to break the ‘glass ceiling’ that the Baltic economy is hitting right now. Our region is small, which is great for agility, but we have a limited talent pool. We want to show leaders where to focus their resources to get the biggest economic impact”

• Global Export & Supply Chains – We’re losing our historical edge. Driven by a relentless 8–10% annual wage inflation, Baltic unit labour costs have surged by over 40% in five years, twice the EU average.
• Competitive Energy – We’re fighting a structural price handicap. Industrial electricity prices in the Baltics are frequently 2 to 3 times higher than those of our direct competitors in Northern Scandinavia.
• Critical Skills & Talent – We’re facing an existential workforce cliff. For example, Lithuania is projected to lose 30% of its working-age population by 2050.
• AI & Technology – The AI adoption gap is widening. Fewer than 15% of traditional SMEs have integrated advanced AI or big data into their core operations.
• Smart Capital & Governance – Baltic valuations are trapped by a structural ‘border discount’. Foreign investors routinely impose a 15–20% risk premium on the region. 
• Global Export and Supply Chains: How can we build more resilient supply chains and enhance our global competitiveness in an increasingly fragmented world?

The challenges we face are too great for any one company or country to solve alone. We believe that the Baltic countries are stronger when they work together. Just as two horses can pull 8 times more weight than a single horse can, our collective efforts can lead to exponential results.

Our mission is to equip leaders with the strategic frameworks that unlock regional growth opportunities, break current productivity ceilings in collaboration with the Public Sector, and secure global competitiveness.

Join us in Tallinn and online for ‘CORE Summit 2026’ on October 14-15!