Open Factory Days 2026
Text Stewart Johnson Photo Mana Kaasik / City of Tartu
If you’ve ever wondered how stuff is made in Estonia, this is your chance to find out. Over 70 factories and assembly plants across the country are opening their doors to the public on 28–29 May. This is a free event, but registration is required. The first day is reserved for school groups, and the second day for the general public, or basically anyone who has followed the advice of Steve Jobs*, and they have stayed hungry and foolish in their quest for knowledge.
Factories in Harju, Järva, Lääne, Pärnu, Rapla, and Saare Counties are involved in the Open Factory Days this year. Notable companies participating are ABB, Paulig, StoraEnso, Baltic Workboats, and A.le Coq—every Tartu person’s favourite beer. Visitors have an extremely wide variety of industries to choose from, including door manufacturing, how boats are made, and how beer is brewed and bottled.
The purpose of Open Factory Days is to give people a glimpse into the world that creates what we see every day in normal life. We know that food is grown on farms, and sold in shops, but how does it get into the packaging? Who works there, what do their jobs entail, what skills are necessary? All the answers are waiting for you.
Open Factory Days is organised by the Estonian Education and Youth Board as part of an Engineering Academy programme. The event is implemented with the support of the Estonian Association of Engineers, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the Estonian Machinery Industry Association, and the Tartu City Government. The activities are cofinanced by the European Union.
The complete programme along with a list and map locations of all participating factories can be found in Estonian here.
*There is no Apple factory in Estonia. Anyone interested in touring an Apple factory must first contact the relevant Chinese authorities.
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