The Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB (Hereinafter – HUB) plays a strategic role in ensuring that bioeconomy becomes a cross-sectoral priority within the national agenda. It ensures that bioeconomy efforts are integrated into national economic policies.
The Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB, focuses on advancing sustainable economic growth in bio-based sectors by fostering collaboration among ministries, industry leaders, and the scientific community. Additionally, the HUB acts as a vital platform for representing Lithuania’s interests within the broader European bioeconomy landscape, strengthening the country’s competitiveness in sustainable and innovative bio-based industries and, also fostering inter-ministerial collaboration and policy-science interfaces within Lithuania.
The HUB is coordinated by the Vytautas Magnus University.
Lithuanian bioeconomy HUB is envisioned as a central platform for a systematic dialogue between all stakeholders (ministries, science and business representatives, society) and with international partners (HUBs of other BIOEAST countries, and EU institutions). Through the coordinated efforts of all its members and the involvement of a wider circle of co-creators, the HUB will contribute to comprehensively strengthening the sustainability, innovativeness, and competitiveness of the Lithuanian bioeconomy.
The Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB was launched on 26 September 2024. The launch event followed up the discussion with major national associations and clusters representing biomass production, its processing, and technology development sectors. The discussion outcomes acknowledged the potential of advancing knowledge-based bioeconomy in Lithuania, as well as the need to strengthen cross-sectoral and inter-institutional collaboration to tackle “valleys of death” in the processes of innovation development and deployment and to maximise both socio-economic and environmental benefits.
Considering these needs and aspirations of local stakeholders, the Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB objectives were formulated as follows:
advocating political harmony between the fields of primary production of biomass, bio-based industry, environment, and innovation;
strengthening the policy-science interface which should support evidence-based decision-making;
promoting public-private partnerships in the field of bioeconomy development;
developing a holistic strategic vision for Lithuania’s bioeconomy and an action plan that leads towards this vision and meets the specific needs, resources, and innovation potential of Lithuania;
strengthening international cooperation and representing Lithuania’s interests in the field of bioeconomy.
The primary objective of the Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB is to coordinate and support inter-ministerial dialogues to ensure bioeconomy efforts are not limited to the Ministry of Agriculture but involve other relevant ministries, such as Environment, Education, Economy, and Industry. By engaging a wider spectrum of stakeholders, the HUB seeks to contribute to the development of national bioeconomy action plan, leading to comprehensive national strategies for bioeconomy.
National contact point
The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania
zum@zum.lt
SIMONA BIELIAUSKAITĖ
NCP, BIOEAST board member
Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania Science, innovation and knowledge development unit
simona.bieliauskaite@zum.lt
KAROLIS ANUŽIS
Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU Attaché for Rural Development
karolis.anuzis@urm.lt
Relevant contact
Vytautas Magnus University
info@vdu.lt
RASA PAKELTIENĖ
Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB coordinator
Vytautas Magnus University
rasa.pakeltiene@vdu.lt
VIRGINIJA KARGYTĖ
Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB coordinator
Vytautas Magnus University
Virginija.kargyte@vdu.lt
Bioeconomy-related projects
Lithuanian public authorities, i.e. Research Council of Lithuania and Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, are involved in six bioeconomy-related co-fund actions under Horizon Europe 2021–2027:
Under Thematic Priority “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment” of Horizon Europe 2021–2027, Lithuanian organisations (universities, research centres, innovation clusters, SMEs, public agencies, NGOs, etc.) contribute to 35 Research and Innovation Action (RIA) projects and to 18 Innovation Action (IA) projects.
A significant share of these projects (EO4EU, QuantiFarm, CHAMELEON, ICAERUS, XGain, PURPEST, CrackSense, SYLVA, EULIAA, AgriDataValue, GUARDIANS, Farmtopia, STELLA, 4Growth, SOSFood) develops digital solutions for improved management of resources and processes in agriculture, forestry, and related sectors, considering deployment strategies, for instance, in small- and medium-sized farms. The RIA and IA projects also deal with governance and policy by developing frameworks for increased resilience (SELINA, eco2adapt, BIOTraCes, OptFor-EU), identifying investment incentives, novel business models, and educational opportunities that support the enhancement of soil health and biodiversity (InBestSoil, SoilValues, LOESS, BIO-CAPITAL), and introducing means to facilitate various types of innovations in rural areas (FUTURAL, ESIRA, RURBANIVE, DAISY).
Notably, there is a segment of the RIA and IA projects that focuses specifically on the protection of marine resources, boosting marine biodiversity and ecosystem services, and promoting integrated seafood farming practices (MSP4BIO, MARBEFES, Marine SABRES, OLAMUR, PROTECT BALTIC, GuardIAS), as well as addressing issues related to other water resources – protecting groundwater (MAR2PROTECT), recycling nutrients (NENUPHAR), demonstrating paludiculture potential (PaluWise). Another major segment of the RIA and IA projects focuses on food and other bio-based systems, from primary production (BELIS, VALERECO, IPMorama) to food processing and other market applications (WHEATBIOME, seaweed-focused SeaMark, algae-focused LOCALITY). Projects in this segment also cover such issues as food labelling (TealHelix), environmental impact assessment of bio-based products (ARGONAUT) and of food loss and waste (PRECIOUS), healthy and sustainable diets (DietWise). They deal with behavioural change (BEATLES, PRUDENT, ForestAgriGreenNudge), systemic solutions for food security (INCiTiS-FOOD) and for sustainable tourism (ReBoat), as well as with gender equality (GRASS Ceiling), health and safety of agricultural workers (SafeHabitus).
Apart from BOOST4BIOEAST that develops Lithuanian bioeconomy HUB, Lithuania is engaged in another 15 bioeconomy-related Coordination and Support Action (CSA) projects. These projects include National Contact Points network for Horizon Europe Cluster 6 (CARE4BIO), networks to support European Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (modernAKIS), connect advisory communities for advancing farming (ClimateSmartAdvisors) and forestry (FORADVISE), and develop tools for effective Common Agricultural Policy governance (Tools4CAP). Some of the CSA projects gather stakeholders for more specific tasks: launching of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses (NATI00NS), promoting farm-level climate smart solutions (Climate Farm Demo), good nutrient management practices (NUTRICHECK-NET), and organic farming innovations (OH-FINE). Meanwhile, other CSA projects focus specifically on the issues of rural and coastal areas by contributing to rural bioeconomy (BioRural, thERBN) and blue bioeconomy (BBC). The CSA projects also deal with education: Nature-Based Solutions related competences among educators (NBS EduWORLD), ocean and water literacy in school communities (ProBleu), and mainstreaming biodiversity in higher education, technical and vocational education and training (eNaBlS).
Furthermore, Lithuanian organisations contribute to 18 bioeconomy-related RIA and IA projects that are implemented under other topic-specific priorities of Horizon Europe 2021–2027, i.e.:
Thematic Priority “Civil Security for Society”, dealing with climate extremes, incl. forest fires, droughts, heatwaves, landslides, floods and storms (The HuT);
Thematic Priority “Climate, Energy and Mobility”, supporting regions in their transition towards a climate-resilient future (P2R, NATALIE) and engaging citizens (CLIMAS), developing land-use strategies (EUROPE-LAND), promoting restoration of wetlands (RESTORE4Cs), climate-informed maritime spatial planning (OCEANIDS), fishing sector solutions reducing footprint and GHG emissions (REFEST), production of biofuels (CarbonNeutralLNG), renewable and waste heat valorisation (RE-WITCH), greening of cities (GreenInCities), zero emission buildings (GreeNest), sustainable operation and management of buildings and districts (WILSON);
Thematic Priority “Digital, Industry and Space”, supporting digital solutions for pesticide and fertiliser reduction (Smart Droplets), water quality control (M3NIR), improvement of farmland birds habitat suitability (BirdWatch), as well as developing bio-insulation materials enhancing buildings energy performance (BIO4EEB) and sustainable ore extraction technologies (XTRACT).
Finally, under priority “European innovation ecosystems”, Lithuania is involved in three CSA projects that aim at boosting innovation agencies for bioeconomy value chains (BIOBoost), fostering Baltic region innovation ecosystem in biotechnology and synthetic biology (BIOCONNECT), and stimulating innovation experiments in food processing live demonstrators (SIXFOLD). Support is also granted under priority “Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System” in the area of healthier and more sustainable food systems (HDHL F4H), as well as for staff exchanges under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions in the area of sensors for analysis of corn plants (SENS4CORN). In addition, Lithuania is involved in the RIA project under priority “Research infrastructures” focused on agroecological transition (AgroServ), and through the CSA project under priority “Widening participation and spreading excellence”, Lithuania coordinates the creation of the centre of excellence in smart forestry (Forest 4.0).
The purpose of the Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB is to foster cross-sectoral and interinstitutional collaboration, as well as to engage society in order to comprehensively enhance the sustainability, innovativeness, and competitiveness of Lithuania’s bioeconomy. Organizations and individuals interested in participating in the activities of the Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB are invited to register by completing this co-creator form.
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