E. Grikšas will present Lithuania's innovation potential in Los Angeles and expand partnerships in strategic technology sectors
Minister of Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas will pay a working visit to Los Angeles from April 28 to 30, where he will meet with representatives of high-tech and space companies such as SpaceX, NVIDIA, APEX Space, VAST, and others. During the meetings, the minister will present Lithuania’s potential in innovation, space, and defense technologies, and discuss opportunities for cooperation and investment. During the visit, E. Grikšas will also participate in international events and meet with representatives of U.S. institutions.
“The visit to Los Angeles is an opportunity to showcase Lithuania’s potential to global technology leaders and to deepen the partnership between Lithuania and the U.S. in the fields of artificial intelligence, defense, and space technology. Lithuania is actively strengthening its cooperation with U.S. partners in the areas of innovation and technology, and we certainly have a lot to offer. Today, there are over a thousand startups operating in Lithuania, and a large portion of them work with AI. The use of AI in business has grown nearly fivefold over the past two years, and we are investing approximately 130 million euros in the national AI infrastructure ‘LitAI’ together with the European Union,” says Minister of Economy and Innovation E. Grikšas.
A memorandum of cooperation will be signed with VAST, a U.S. company developing commercial space stations. This partnership will open up new opportunities for Lithuanian companies to collaborate in the field of advanced space technologies.
In Los Angeles, the minister will meet with Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom and director of the Office of Business and Economic Development.
The visit will also include meetings with representatives of the U.S. companies Pylon, SiC Systems, Dave, Shield Capital, and Constellation, during which opportunities for investment and technological partnerships will be discussed.
E. Grikšas will also participate in high-level international events dedicated to discussing innovation, investment, artificial intelligence, defense, and space technology. The minister will deliver the opening remarks at the international “Select LA” event, give a keynote speech, and participate in a discussion on innovation development and regulation at the North American Lithuanian Business Forum (NALBF).
The Minister of Economy and Innovation will also participate in the North American-Lithuanian Defense and Space Forum, where he will discuss the implementation of innovations, attracting investment, and opportunities to strengthen the involvement of U.S. companies in Lithuania’s technology ecosystem with high-level representatives from Lithuanian and U.S. defense and space companies.
The United States remains one of Lithuania’s most important strategic partners in the fields of innovation and high technology. Lithuania and the United States are expanding their cooperation in the areas of defense innovation, AI, and space. There are about 100 defense and dual-use technology companies in Lithuania, more than 40 of which operate in the international space sector, opening up more opportunities for partnerships with the U.S.