Organiser: Delta Management School, University of Tartu
Co-organiser: CDL-Estonia
Studio: University of Tartu Delta Centre
Format: Free online event
Date: December 8, 2025
Time: 10:00 – 17:30 (GMT+2)
Language: English
Live: https://worksup.com/app/#/event/DELTATRENDSDAY2025/agenda/plan event id: DELTATRENDSDAY2025
Register
The Background of the Theme Selection and Event Structure
Over the past decades, the intensifying US-China struggle for global leadership has reshaped the dynamics of the world economy. This rivalry, driven by globalisation and the expansion of global value chains, now unfolds within a context of growing multipolar instability. The war in Ukraine has further accelerated geopolitical fragmentation, prompting nations—especially in (Eastern) Europe—to reassess their strategic priorities. Innovation, resilience, and security have become central themes in this evolving landscape. Estonia and the Nordic countries are strengthening their defence cooperation and resilience strategies in close alignment with Ukraine, recognising the shared security challenges posed by regional instability and the need for speeding up the innovation cycle. Estonia’s interests are closely tied to the European Union’s positioning in this emerging division, where innovation and strategic autonomy are key to navigating the challenges ahead.
Top minds are coming together to ignite bold conversations on the future of security, resilience, defense, and economic stability—globally, across Europe, and right here in Estonia. These dynamic discussions are fueled by the University of Tartu’s powerhouse initiatives: the Delta Management School and CDL-Estonia, both driving fresh thinking and strategic action in a world that’s changing faster than ever.
Delta Trends Day 2025 covers:
Delta Trends Day 2025 is broadcasted from studios located at the Delta Centre. The Delta Centre is one of the most modern centres of digital technology, analytical and economic thought in the Northern region of Europe with core competencies in management and economics, computer science, technology and robotics, and mathematics and statistics. The Delta Management School is part of this vibrant 3,500+ member community, combining learning, excellence in research, and the challenges of business and society in creating innovative solutions for economic and social progress.
The event on socials will be here soon.
Andrew Thompson
Co-Founder, LifeSpeed
Rachel Costello
Director, Innovating for National Security (i4NS)
Scott Tait
Former US Navy Captain (CJCS J-5 (Asia)), UC San Diego National Security Innovation Catalyst
Jamie Burnham
Consultant, VinDo Technology, CDL-Estonia Guest Mentor, leads resilience advisory work for the British technology start-up Darkskope, former diplomat and Royal Navy officer, former Recanati-Kaplan Fellow at Harvard
Maria Smorževskikh-Smirnova
Director of the Narva Museum, European of the Year 2025
Michael A. Keller
Vice Provost, University Librarian, & Director of Academic Information Resources, Stanford University
Peeter Luikmel
Economist, Head of Monetary Policy and Foreign Economics Division, Bank of Estonia
Stace Maples
Assistant Director of Geospatial Collections & Services at Stanford Libraries, Head of the Stanford Geospatial Center
Kyrylo Martyniuk
CEO & Board Member at OptilinEx, BBA student
Ede Schank Tamkivi
Product Manager at NoVa
Rainer Saks
Head of the Cyber Policy Center @UT Skytte Institute, Former Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Member of the Management Board CybExer Technologies
Sigute Stankeviciute
Baltic and Poland Manager, Mach Industries
John Rendon
President at The Rendon Group and Owner, The Rendon Group
Ingvar Pärnamäe
Co-Founder & CEO at Vegvisir
Misha Rudominski
Co-founder, HIMERA
Reg Beer
Founder & CEO, nine5north, Defense Systems Program Leader and Director of Collaborative Autonomy at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Jaanus Tamm
Founder and CEO of DefSecIntel, EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024
Mariin Ratnik
Undersecretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of EstoniaSpecial Envoy for Ukraine Recovery
Kaspar Gering
Co-founder & General Partner Darkstar
Kristjan Vassil
Professor and Former Vice-Rector of Research at the University of Tartu, Board Member at the University of Tartu Hospital, CDL-Estonia Chief Scientist
Kadri Ukrainski
Research and Innovation Policy Professor, Delta Management School, University of Tartu, CDL-Estonia Site Lead
Ott Pärna
Industry Professor, Delta Management School, University of Tartu
For people physically present
Kadri Ukrainski and Ott Pärna, DELTA LABS FLOOR
Scott Tait, Former US Navy Captain (CJCS J-5 (Asia)), UC San Diego National Security Innovation Catalyst
Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of EstoniaSpecial Envoy for Ukraine Recovery
Jamie Burnham leads on resilience advisory work for the British technology start-up Darkskope, which helps organisations make better and faster decisions by finding the truth in complex data. He is a former diplomat and Royal Navy officer, immersed in the threats posed to Europe’s critical national infrastructure by hostile states. He is a former Recanati-Kaplan Fellow at Harvard. Interviewer: Kadri Ukrainski
Andrew Thompson, John Rendon, Moderator: Kadri Ukrainski
Sigute Stankeviciute and Scott Tait, Moderator: Kristjan Vassil
Jaanus Tamm, Founder and CEO of DefSecIntel, EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024
Ingvar Pärnamäe, Misha Rudominski, Reg Beer Moderator: Kadri Ukrainski
Jamie Burnham, Sigute Stankeviciute, Scott Tait, Moderators: Ott Pärna and Kadri Ukrainski
Rachel Costello, Director Innovating for National Security (i4NS)
Stace Maples, Assistant Director of Geospatial Collections & Services at Stanford Libraries, Head of the Stanford Geospatial Center
Maria Smorževskikh-Smirnova, Director of the Narva Museum, European of the Year 2025
Maria Smorževskihh-Smirnova, Michael A. Keller, Ede Schank-Tamkivi, Stace Maples, Moderator: Kristjan Vassil
Kyrylo Martyniuk, CEO & Board Member at OptilinEx
Kaspar Gering, Co-founder & General Partner Darkstar
Peeter Luikmel, Economist, Head of Monetary Policy and Foreign Economics Division, Bank of Estonia
Rainer Saks, Member of the Management Board CybExer Technologies
Peeter Luikmel, Rainer Saks, Kyrylo Martyniuk, Moderators: Kadri Ukrainski, Ott Pärna, Kristjan Vassil
Delta Trend Days aims to analyse global developments and set trends on crucial international development issues. Delta Trends Day 2024 focused on Future Accounting and Fincance: Digital and Sustainable, 2023 Artificial Intelligence: Hype, Revolution or Innovation as Usual, 2022 The New Economic World Order, 2021 Reinventing a 400-year-old University for Talent, 2020 New Business and Life Models Are Emerging from the Covid Crisis.
Photography and video will be done on Delta Trends Day at the Delta Centre.
Welcome to the Delta Management School Community
Dear students, researchers, today’s and tomorrow’s partners and other interested parties! Delta Management School is a modern, multidisciplinary and experimental study, research and innovation centre.
Delta Management School
University of Tartu Delta Building
Narva mnt 18 / 51009 Tartu / ESTONIA
Open every day 07.30 am – 08.00 pm
E-mail: majandus@ut.ee
Location map
Delta Café is open Monday to Friday 11 pm – 4:30 pm.
delta.kohvik@gmail.com / +372 5302 8944
Reception Desk (only technical information):
+372 737 6363; + 372 5331 4670
Parking for guests is available at the UT Sports Hall or Ujula Coop parking lots.
