Nordic Investment Bank has signed a 10-year loan agreement with Estonian Applied Research Center and National Metrology Institute Metrosert AS to finance investments in a new Drone Technology Unit in Tallinn, Estonia.
Credit: Metrosert
The EUR 11.4 million loan will finance the unit, which will include 9 laboratories supporting the development and life cycle of unmanned vehicles. The investment is part of a broader government-backed initiative to enhance Estonia’s national R&D capacity. Most activities at the unit will be defence-related.
Metrosert’s Drone Technology Unit will consist of nine laboratories designed to validate and industrialise unmanned systems across the air (UAS), ground (UGV), and maritime (USV) domains. This unit focuses on essential R&D areas: unmanned aviation, communications, navigation, flight physics, and hardware security. It is part of the recently established Applied Research Center in Estonia.
Most of the unit’s environmental testing laboratories are already operational, enabling comprehensive testing of UAS subsystems across a wide range of conditions. These include ingress protection, climate and low-pressure testing, corrosion and materials testing, accelerated life testing (HALT/HASS), vibration, acoustics and electronics testing. In summer 2026, a dedicated field testing area supporting UAS/UAV, UGV and USV platforms will further expand real-world validation capabilities.
Large-scale indoor testing facilities, including a large climate chamber and full-size EMC (emissions, immunity, and radar cross-section) capabilities, are planned to become operational in the second quarter of 2027.
The total investment for establishing Metrosert’s Drone Technology Unit is EUR 17.4 million, and EUR 42.9 million for the whole Applied Research Center.
“To meet the growing demand for testing drones designed for military use, the new unit will offer companies across the Nordic-Baltic region a platform to accelerate product development—an essential step towards strengthening the region’s resilience,” says André Küüsvek, NIB President and CEO.
Rainer Kivimäe, Head of Drone Technologies Unit at Metrosert’s Applied Research Center, said:
“Developing defence technology demands more than just theory; it requires deep science backed by world-class laboratories. We have created a competence centre where companies can push their systems to the limit in a safe environment. By providing the expertise to industrialise products efficiently, we help turn prototypes into reliable solutions much faster.”
"Access to high-level testing infrastructure is essential for the rapid development of the defence industry. This investment addresses a critical gap, enabling Estonian companies to develop their products locally and enter global markets more quickly. It sends a strong message that Estonia is committed to building a world-class defence ecosystem," says Kalev Koidumäe, the CEO of the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association.
Metrosert is the Estonian RTO (Research and Technology Organization) and National Metrology Institute. Its Applied Research Center focuses on five fields: drone technologies, autonomous vehicles, hydrogen technologies, biorefining, and health data. The state-owned company employs around 140 professionals and supports sustainable growth through applied research, measurement and quality systems, and industry-academia collaboration.
NIB is the international financial institution of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. The Bank finances projects that improve productivity and benefit the environment of the Nordic-Baltic region. The Bank is headquartered in Helsinki with a regional hub in Riga. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s.