The European Commission has launched the STARTS initiative because they have evidence, that artist are a valuable actor in the innovation processes together with science and industry, as they are good at shifting perspectives by bringing in critical aspects and that some of them are good at facilitating interaction between people.

There is a rapidly increasing gap between technological innovation and society as the dynamics of societal change differ from those of technology. We need more humane and sustainable technologies that drive economic growth and here the Arts can and should play a major role. Today, together with Luis Miguel Girao, STARTS.eu community coordinator, Aleksander Väljamäe and Peeter Normak from Tallinn University, we were discussing STARTS national and regional activities in Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia (Aleksandr Aidarov, Liina Jänes, Merle Männik and Indrek Rünkla)