2015. MITA. All rights reserved.````` Lithuanian Country Report Gintarė Narakienė The Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. MITA – INNOVATION FUNDING AGENCY Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology (MITA) is the main governmental institution, responsible for implementation of innovation policy in Lithuania. It is a national innovation funding agency. MITA was established in 2010 with the aim to foster business and science cooperation and to create a favorable environment for entrepreneurship and innovation in Lithuania. The founders of MITA:

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. MITA has a strategic goal to stimulate applied research, technological development and innovation in Lithuania. Important tasks: to concentrate expert and financial resources (including the EU structural support); to support applied research, technological development and innovative projects; to strengthen the clustering processes and public- private partnership; to develop the innovation management skills, especially in research commercialization, technology transfer or intellectual property processes.

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. Coordination of national R&D programmes: Commercialization of R&D results (spin-offs), Fostering universities to conduct commercial research. Coordination of national initiatives to foster the implementation of innovation: Innovation vouchers, Industrial property rights, Clusterization. MITA National Coordination

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. PROJECT “TECHNOSTART“ – GOAL AND TASKS Project started – July 1, 2013 Goal of the project – encourage formation of start-ups by diminishing their starting costs and helping them to penetrate local and foreign markets with their innovative products. Tasks of the project  stimulate comemercialization of research results;  foster new technology based products introduction to international market;  develop business management in start-ups;  foster R&D development. Project duration – 24 months Project partners: ⇁ Northtown Technology Park; ⇁ Kaunas Science and Technology Park; ⇁ Klaipėda Science and Technology Park.

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. PROJECT “INNOVATIVE BUSINESS PROMOTION “ – GOAL AND TASKS Project started – January 1, 2014 Goal of the project – increase the share of high value-added businesses by promoting foundation and development of technology-based enterprises Target groups: scientists; researchers; students; persons who have innovative ideas Project uniqueness: Oriented to fields that require large long-term investments; Teams of professionalls are formed to provide specific advise to technological enterprises; Oriented to ideas that have potential to benefit from other opportunities (seed capital funds). Project partners - Lithuanian universities and Science and Technology parks (16 partners)

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. COMMERCIALIZATION OF R&D RESULTS A new initiative launched in 2012 under High technology development programme in Goal of initiative - to encourage scientists, researchers and students to establish start-up’s or spin-off’s companies in Lithuania and foster to create innovative products, technologies or services competitive on the market. Main conditions: - Maximum amount of public funding for one project – EUR. - Project duration – 1 year from spin off establishment. - The applicants to get funding should establish enterprise. - Founders of enterprise can be: scientist, student, researcher (group of them) together with university or scientist, student, researcher (group of them) without university. - Maximum intensity of sponsorship – 80 % of spin off’s expenses and 100 % of university’s expenses.

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Goal of initiative - to give financial support for the protection of industrial property rights: patents of inventions; design registration. Support is oriented to the acquirement of a European patent / a patent issued under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and to the registration of a Community design / a design registered under the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement.

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. In 2010, the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania introduced a new instrument to promote innovations in SMEs - innovation vouchers. Goal of initiative - encourage co-operation between business and research institutions. Innovation voucher is a small credit that entitles SME’s to buy R&D expertise or knowledge from research and educational institutions. The appeal of the innovation vouchers scheme is related to its simplicity and low administrative burden both for beneficiaries and administrators. MITA is the main administrative institution of this scheme. OTHER NATIONAL INITIATIVES Innovation Vouchers - “quick money”CLUSTERIZATION In 2014 approved Clusters concept. Promoted creation, development and internationalization of value adding networks (clusters). In 2014 year there was 45 clusters or clusters initiatives. In year clusters support from structural funds:  For infrastructure Lt (~ Euro)  For other activities Lt (~ Euro)

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. „Open R&D Lithuania“ brand Modern, operating R&D facilities, equipment, services and high-level R&D intellectual potential is easily accessible and concentrated in the laboratories of five integrated science, studies and business valleys that work like Open Access Centres (OAC). „Open R&D Lithuania“ - represents the biggest excellence network of innovation infrastructure, services and competence in the Baltic countries.

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. Why use services of Open Access Centres? ⇁ The opportunity to work with highly qualified professionals ⇁ Clear and simple service procedures ⇁ New, modern equipment and services designed to meet business requirements ⇁ Services covering specific areas of research activities ⇁ Competitive price and service speed ⇁ Reliability and international recognition ⇁ Complex services ⇁ Possible to rent equipment ⇁ Highly qualified professionals are being prepared

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. All available Lithuanian R&D services provided by research infrastructures in one place: Main access point to Lithuanian R&D infrastructure, services and competences Universities and research institutes promoting their facilities and know-how Business may look for and apply for particular R&D services E-SCIENCEGATEWAY - a Science to Business Platform

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. MITA INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Participation in international networking activities ⇁ Horizon 2020, ⇁ FP7 (national contact point’s network), ⇁ EUREKA (national coordinator), ⇁ etc Membership in TAFTIE (The European Association of leading national innovation agencies)

2015. MITA. All rights reserved. Thank you for your attention!