Starting the Innovation Agency early next year

The Innovation Agency should be launched early next year; it will be the only body responsible for the development of the entire innovation ecosystem and for all stages of innovation activities from concept development to introduction to the market. The concept of the Innovation Agency was approved at the Government meeting on Wednesday.

‘Currently, innovations in business fall within the scope of responsibility of several unrelated institutions; so there is a vital lack of a systematic and long-term approach to the promotion of potential innovators. To create an innovation-friendly climate that allows us to compete globally we need to hand the innovation tools over to the responsibility of one institution. Then the innovation promoting ecosystem will become harmonious; no overlapping of functions and unclear responsibility will be left; businesses will know where to apply for the development of ideas or required support,’ says Minister of the Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė.

This agency is developed in line with the European Commission and the OECD recommendations to create a single structure responsible for innovation. These international institutions have repeatedly noted that the Lithuanian innovation policy system is too fragmented and inefficient, while the support system is difficult to access.

The Innovation Agency will implement and administer key measures to stimulate innovation activities, including expert and consultancy assistance, access to funding, support tool coordination, the development of infrastructure, etc. The Agency will cover  innovation, start-up development, business and science partnership, innovation in the public sector, as well as general business development (business establishment, development, export).

The Innovation Agency will be created on the basis of Enterprise Lithuania. The consolidation will affect the public body Enterprise Lietuva, the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Lithuanian Business Support Agency. It is not planned to consolidate the institutions but rather their relevant functions; the said institutions will continue functioning while the Innovation Agency will be entrusted with promoting innovative activities. Following the reform, the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technologywill continue to be subordinate to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

The Innovation Agency is planned to start operating in Q1 2022.Until then, legal acts will be drafted, the transfer of functions and staff will be planned, etc. The Innovation Agency will take the legal form of a public body. It will be directly subordinate to the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation. The new agency is planned to  employ up to 300 people.