Lithuania is among the stars. The little country has taken another step towards strengthening its position as a high-technology country in the region. A new photonics, laser processing and space technology centre was opened at Vilnius’ Visoriai Information Technology Park last January.

It will also host a digital innovation centre. 90% of the services of the companies are exported to the U.S., Germany, France, Taiwan, and the Middle East. Most of the companies in the centre also provide components and services to each other, thus extending the domestic supply chain.

The value of the project totals 8.5 million euros, including 6.25 million euros in private investments and 2.25 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund.

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) has included six applications from Lithuanian business and scientific institutions in the list of projects recommended for funding. The Lithuanian projects are set to receive up to €1 million in funding.

“The growth of the space sector is among our country’s top priorities. Lithuania has every reason to be proud of its achievements in space technology – we already are among the world leaders in laser technology, a recognized producer of nanosatellites and their components, and have made significant achievements in processing Earth observation data. This funding will help us become a major player in the global space industry, unlock our enormous potential and gain international recognition”, said Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister for Economy and Innovation.

The ESA will fund projects by Delta Biosciences, Klaipėda University, Vilnius University, the Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology and two projects by Astrolight. The applicants intend to implement projects in areas of science and technology with the highest potential for the space sector.

“We are delighted that Lithuanian organisations are becoming increasingly involved and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the ESA and that as many as six Lithuanian business and science proposals have now been included in the list of recommended projects for funding and have become the subject of negotiations by the ESA for further implementation. It is particularly encouraging that Lithuania’s life sciences sector is finally moving into the space industry, as the importance of this sector in space is growing. We hope that this example will be a great incentive for other companies in the life sciences sector to become more interested in expanding their activities in space”, says Paulius Petrauskas, Director of the Innovation Agency’s Breakthrough Department.

Lithuania has set a target to grow its space sector tenfold to 1% of GDP by 2027. The number of space companies in Lithuania is expected to grow more than 2.5 times in 5 years to reach around 80 companies.

Facts and figures for the laser and aerospace industry:

• Over 90% of Lithuania’s laser industry is concentrated in Vilnius and 80% of its output is exported
• The value added per employee in the laser industry is 3 times the national average
• 95% of the world’s TOP 100 universities use Lithuanian lasers for research
• Laser systems are increasingly used in industrial and automotive applications, welding, cutting drilling, and surface treatment processes
• The space technology industry grew by 70% between 2010 and 2020

Between 2022 and 2026, the global aerospace industry will grow at 6.84% annually.