TalTech doctoral student Artur Toikka has been named a laureate of the Estonian Academy of Sciences’ Three-Minute Science competition. A research article related to his work on the platform economy was published in issue 3 (2026) of Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (PEAS).

Toikka took part in the final at the Estonian Academy of Sciences on 6 October with a presentation titled ‘The Divine Comedy of Platform Services’, in which he discussed services mediated by digital platforms and how platforms shape the roles and relationships of service providers and customers.

In his article ‘Sustainability paradox of platform companies: mediated legitimacy in public discourse’, published in PEAS issue 3 (2026), Toikka approaches the same field of research from a different perspective. He analyses Estonian media coverage, reader comments and corporate sustainability communication to examine how a platform company’s own sustainability claims interact and conflict with public perceptions of its responsibility and trustworthiness. The empirical material focuses on the Estonian mobility platform Bolt between 2019 and 2024.

Read Artur Toikka’s article in PEAS

Toikka was one of three laureates. Rait Rand of the Estonian University of Life Sciences and Kelli Randmäe of the University of Tartu also received the award. With support from the Estonian Research Council, the laureates will have the opportunity to attend the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin in November 2027, which brings together researchers and leaders from science, innovation, business and society from around the world.

Sheep wool research offers another link to PEAS

Another PEAS author also took part in the Three-Minute Science final. Katrin Kabun, a researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts, presented ‘Archaically high-tech: sheep wool in the context of contemporary design’. She was among five finalists recognised by the jury with the opportunity to take part in a study trip to Stockholm in spring 2027.

Kabun is one of the authors of ‘Revaluation of Estonian local sheep wool – impact of different wool types on textile material properties’, published in PEAS issue 1 (2026). Together with Liisa Torsus, Tiia Plamus and Urve Kallavus, she investigated the properties of different types of local Estonian sheep wool and how fibre characteristics affect yarn, knitted fabrics and knitted felted materials. The study addresses the problem that a large proportion of wool produced in Estonia remains unused, while wool for textile production is imported from abroad.

Read the article by Liisa Torsus, Tiia Plamus, Katrin Kabun and Urve Kallavus in PEAS

This year, 15 doctoral students and researchers from seven Estonian universities reached the Three-Minute Science final. Their task was to present their research clearly and accessibly in just three minutes. The competition was organised by the Estonian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Estonian Doctoral School and the Estonian Research Council.