Analysis and studies

EU stragegy for the Baltic Sea Region

Horizon Europe

European Commission about Horizon Europe

Innovation and international collaboration are being promoted through the European Commission’s new research and innovation program, Horizon Europe (HEU). This is the ninth EU-wide, multi-year program valued at €95.5 billion, running from 2021 to 2027. Through competitive funding, it supports international projects in research and innovation. This program replaces Horizon 2020, which ran from 2014 to 2020. Lithuania had a strong performance in the previous program, with a success rate of 14.32% of submitted proposals being selected, compared to the EU average of 11.88%. One of the best examples was Lithuania's success rate in space-related projects, where 30% of proposals were selected (the EU average was 17%). However, in terms of funding, Lithuania received €87.63 million, a figure surpassed by all countries in the Central and Eastern Europe region.

To effectively implement the HEU program in Lithuania, the Innovation Agency (IA) plays an important role. IA is actively encouraging greater participation of Lithuanian business and research entities in the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and/or HEU partnerships. Through initiatives such as the LT Space Hub, the aim is to foster the growth of Lithuania’s space sector, facilitate international networking, promote space activities, and bring together the Lithuanian space community.

The Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MoEI) and IA also support the activities of the Research Council of Lithuania (RCoL), which is the main national institution responsible for the involvement of businesses in the Horizon Europe program. MoEI, IA, and RCoL ensure funding and organization for HEU memberships, international partner-finding events, and participation in HEU committees and institutional partnership working groups.

In 2023, Lithuania became the first country in Europe to respond to the European Commission’s call to take advantage of a unique opportunity: it reallocated €18.5 million from the 2021–2027 EU Investment Program to the European Commission’s Horizon Europe program. These funds, to be used by mid-2026, are intended to support the active involvement of Lithuanian researchers and business representatives in international projects, raise their international profile and recognition, and improve access to the EU-wide Horizon Europe program. MoEI has reallocated €12.5 million to Horizon Europe. Although the funds were initially intended for use in 2024–2025, due to successful applications, all funds will be utilized in 2024.
 

• European Innovation Scoreboard 2024
• Review of the Lithuanian innovation ecosystem
• What major changes in the Lithuanian innovation ecosystem are revealed by the Index?
• Lithuania Among the Top 35 Strongest Countries in the Global Innovation Index for the Second Year Running
• Lithuania Achieves Highest Growth in EU in Innovation Ecosystem, Reports European Innovation Scoreboard 2024
• Business transfer/ succession in Lithuania: the upcoming challenge, 2020
• Higher Education for Smart Specialisation: The case of Lithuania, 2020
• Development of the Lithuanian STI policy: specific view on governance, evaluation and collaboration issues
• Improving Lithuania's Public Procurement System
• Concept of Research and development and innovations (Smart specialization)
• Concept of Lithuanian space sector development
• Plan of measures for the implementation of recommendations provided in the review of innovation policy of lithuania carried out by the organisation for economic cooperation and development 
• Feasibility study on incentives for business to invest in R&D&I