E. Grikšas in Brussels: decisions on business development, industry and artificial intelligence
The Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Edvinas Grikšas, is attending the European Union (EU) Competitiveness Council (COMPET) meeting in Brussels, where he will discuss issues relevant to Lithuania and Europe as a whole with other EU ministers. These issues include increasing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), strengthening industrial resilience and removing barriers to business in the EU internal market.
'Strengthening the EU internal market and reducing barriers to business is particularly important for SMEs, which form the backbone of the EU economy. At the same time, it is also a matter of security — a stronger economy means greater resilience, especially for EU countries on the eastern border, including Lithuania, which face geopolitical risks,' says Minister of the Economy and Innovation E. Grikšas.
The EU Competitiveness Council also discussed industrial resilience and the transition to a climate-neutral economy, as well as how to strengthen the competitiveness of the steel, chemical, and automotive sectors.
These issues were also discussed yesterday at a high-level event in Brussels entitled 'Implementing Industrial Decarbonisation: From Challenges to Opportunities', where politicians and experts discussed how to strengthen Lithuania's role in the EU's industrial transformation processes.
Minister Grikšas also met with European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen to discuss the steps necessary for the smooth establishment of the LitAI artificial intelligence centre. This strategically important project will strengthen Lithuania's position within Europe's high-performance computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The meeting with H. Virkkunen also covered Lithuania's and other EU member states' readiness to implement strategic high-tech projects, European chip policy, and how Lithuania can leverage its technological potential.