{"id":1761,"date":"2025-11-11T00:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T00:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/?p=1761"},"modified":"2025-11-06T09:16:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:16:34","slug":"from-tallinn-to-antwerp-what-estonian-companies-need-to-know-for-a-safe-landing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addbusiness.be\/en\/2025\/11\/11\/from-tallinn-to-antwerp-what-estonian-companies-need-to-know-for-a-safe-landing\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tallinn to Antwerp: What Estonian companies need to know for a safe landing"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”157292″ css=”.vc_custom_1724092097497{padding-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”4\/6″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”735825″]In the cockpit of the NBB HUB this time: Pieter Poppelsdorf. For more than 4 years, he has been responsible for promoting Estonian investments within the Benelux, based in Amsterdam. He operates at the intersection of government and entrepreneurship, moving smoothly between policymakers, scale-ups, and investors. What makes Pieter unique is his linguistic talent and cultural compass. He speaks Dutch, Estonian, English, and French. This is not a luxury\u2014it\u2019s his essential work tool. From the Netherlands, he connects with Benelux stakeholders, building bridges between hyper-digital Estonia and the multi-layered decision-making of the Benelux.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a networker with sharp insights and always to the point \ud83d\ude0a.<\/p>\n

\u201cForget the Estonian market. For Belgian investors, it\u2019s all about the ecosystem and available talent. You don\u2019t go to Estonia to sell to Estonians. You go for the environment, the network, the people.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The route is not one-way<\/h2>\n

What Belgian companies are looking for in Estonia fundamentally differs from what Estonian companies seek in Belgium. That \u201cflight direction\u201d defines everything.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Belgian companies<\/strong> move to Estonia for tech capacity, agility, and ecosystems.<\/li>\n
  • Estonian companies<\/strong> want to touch down in Belgium for market share, customer growth, and scaling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    It may seem trivial, but it\u2019s crucial. Belgian companies don\u2019t need to understand the Estonian customer. Estonian companies must understand the Belgian customer. And that\u2019s where it can go wrong.<\/p>\n

    The challenge is cultural, not technical<\/h2>\n

    Estonian companies are technically strong\u2014brilliant, even. Commercially? That\u2019s often the challenge. Pieter puts it directly:<\/p>\n

    \u201cEstonians are product-oriented but sometimes lack marketing and sales knowledge. They build something and often think: this speaks for itself.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    In Belgium, nothing speaks for itself. Decision-makers want case studies, comparisons, and preferably a reference from someone they know. A CEO who says, \u201cThey really helped us,\u201d opens more doors than ten technical demos.<\/p>\n

    Communication can also create friction. Pieter explains:<\/p>\n

    \u201cEstonians expect you to follow up. For Belgians, that can be difficult. In Belgium, if you request a meeting, we expect you to also do the follow-up.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    At the same time, Estonians find Belgian decision-making slow, ambiguous, and tiring. What they perceive as indecision is, for Belgian companies, simply getting everyone on board. It requires guidance and translation\u2014not just of language, but of pace and expectations.<\/p>\n

    Why Rethink does land in Belgium<\/h2>\n

    The difference between stumbling and landing? DNA and preparation.<\/p>\n

    Rethink<\/strong>, a digital service design and innovation agency from Tallinn, takes a fundamentally different approach. They follow the entire NBB HUB DNA trajectory. Not a quick pitch, but a thorough process around positioning, value proposition, and cultural translation.<\/p>\n

    We align their DNA with the Belgian ecosystem, with clear entry points in education and the public sector.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe quality of the landing depends a lot on the precision of the preparation. Rethink realizes you need to know the landscape before you land in it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Belgium a country?<\/h2>\n

    A frequently underestimated obstacle. Companies see Belgium\u2014and by extension the Benelux\u2014as one market.<\/p>\n

    Pieter laughs:<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe Benelux isn\u2019t a country. Belgium alone is three markets: Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels. Each with different rules, networks, and expectations. And that applies to the Netherlands too.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    That\u2019s why local guidance isn\u2019t a luxury. It\u2019s the only way to avoid months lost to misunderstandings, cold contacts, and false assumptions. The NBB HUB isn\u2019t an intermediary, but a navigation partner. Not \u201cwe\u2019ll do it for you,\u201d but \u201cwe\u2019ll teach you to land as it works here.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][uncode_block id=”1683″ inside_column=”yes”][uncode_block id=”887″ inside_column=”yes”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What Belgian companies seek in Estonia differs fundamentally from what Estonian companies seek in Belgium. In this cockpit conversation, Pieter Poppelsdorf, Estonia\u2019s investment promoter in the Benelux, shares sharp insights about culture, preparation, and the importance of local navigation. From Tallinn to Antwerp: what Estonian companies really need to know for a safe landing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-networks-beyond-borders-en"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Tallinn to Antwerp: What Estonian companies need to know for a safe landing - Add Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the cockpit with Pieter Poppelsdorf on how Estonian companies can land safely in Belgium. 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