Erkki Keldo

Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry, Erkki Keldo, is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship, export growth, and innovation. He believes that the key to Estonia’s economic growth lies in smart industry and export competitiveness. To enable companies to produce high-value-added products, they need clean energy at a reasonable price, minimal administrative burden when submitting reports to the state, a workforce with smart and innovative thinking, and shorter state planning procedures.

As the Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry, he is responsible for the following areas: economy and innovation, labor market policy and employment, planning, and land policy. In his role as minister, Erkki Keldo is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Advisory Board of the Applied Research Center.

Additionally, he is responsible for setting ownership expectations for the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS). The primary goals of EIS include enhancing Estonia’s international competitiveness, promoting innovation, improving export capacity, attracting high-value-added foreign investments, and recruiting top professionals internationally.

Before becoming a minister, he was a member of the Riigikogu (Parliament) from 2019 to 2024. He graduated from Tallinn University in 2013 with a degree in political science. Erkki Keldo also served as the Secretary General of the Estonian Reform Party from 2018 to 2022. His career in the Reform Party began in 2014 when he worked as a campaign consultant and regional development advisor. He was also an advisor to the Reform Party’s parliamentary group and, from 2017 to 2018, worked as an advisor to the Vice-Chairman.

Since 2013, Erkki has also been a member of the Põltsamaa City Council. His experience at the local level has helped him understand how political decisions impact people's daily lives.

In his free time, Erkki enjoys being active, playing football, and participating in quizzes. Erkki Keldo was born on November 7, 1990.