"The digital identity is one of the cornerstones of the digital economy," Ratas was quoted in a government press release. "This is confirmed in Davos by heads of state as well as heads of international economic organizations and large corporations. Estonia has been building a digital society and developing e-services that are based on a digital identity for 20 years. It is especially this that makes us stand out from among other countries, and we are expected to produce solutions, to contribute to the development of the digital identity of a new generation," he said.

The prime minister emphasized that a digital society can only be built with openness and trust, and for that e-services need to be secure, and data processing has to be carried out according to certain rules.

"Estonia has done a lot in terms of legislation, we are flexible, fast, and look toward the future. This has been noticed by a number of the world's large corporations, like ABB, Telia, and Royal Philips, who are interested in cooperation in innovative fields like digital medicine or artificial intelligence. But also for example the city of Fukuoka, which is prominent in Japan for its large number of start-ups, is looking for places to cooperate with the Estonian startup community," Ratas said.

Estonia started looking for opportunities to cooperate with the World Economic Forum some two years ago. The WEF has invited Estonia to participate in its System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and Society, to participate in the annual meeting in Davos, and to contribute to the work of its Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Last year Ratas was also invited to become a member of the European Young Leaders community.

In Davos, Ratas is still to participate in discussions on the future of Europe and the performance of the world economy, and to meet with representatives of companies who have already invested in Estonia as well as with possible future investors. Among others, Ratas will meet with the management of Telia, Carlsberg, ABB, Royal Philips, Alibaba, AT&T, and Mitsubishi Motors as well as with the prime ministers of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and the Czech Republic.