Woodbridge, V.A., March 24, 2016 – MAG CEO Joe Fluet participated in a symposium on the future of the U.S. and Estonian cybersecurity and defense industries on Tuesday, March 22, on the campus of George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.  The event featured a keynote address by Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia. National Defense quoted MAG CEO Joe Fluet in an article titled Tech Haven Estonia Attracting U.S. Defense, Cybersecurity Business, focusing on MAG’s cooperation agreement with Estonia based drone manufacturer Threod Systems.

Below is a portion of the article.

Among the deals signed was one between Estonian drone manufacturer Threod Systems and U.S. defense contractor Momentum Aerospace Group. MAG provides intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance services to the U.S. government and NATO allies.

During a NATO project in Kosovo, MAG ran into major technical difficulties with its tactical drones. Threod helped fix the problem and the companies agreed to partner for future work.

“When we went looking for the right technological partner to solve that problem we found an Estonian company,” said Joe Fluet, chief executive of MAG. “We found innovation, we found hunger, they were responsive, they were aggressive about getting the problem solved.”

Like other U.S. executives, Fluet was impressed by the country’s pro-business ethos. “We found in Estonia an atmosphere and a culture of entrepreneurship,” he said. “I’m not in the business of making gadgets. I take the best gadgets in the world and create solutions for customers. When we can partner with innovative companies, that allows us to be better.”

Financial incentives — a flat tax, tax exemptions for companies that reinvest their profits, regulations that encourage companies to innovate — are helpful, Fluet said.