Lithuania is one of the fastest-growing EU countries in terms of innovation
The European Commission (EC) has published the results of this year's European Innovation Scoreboard. As in previous years, Lithuania ranks 18th among EU member states. However, the country's innovation indicators have grown by as much as 17.4% since 2018, compared to an EU average of 12.6%. Only a few countries, including the Czech Republic and Italy, have demonstrated such a breakthrough.
'Innovation has already become a strategic direction in Lithuania, and our progress clearly shows this – we are growing faster than most European countries. Businesses are becoming more active, and the state is investing more and more in the development of science and technology. However, to accelerate this growth, we must focus on creating high added value and encouraging innovation-driven investment,' said the Minister Lukas Savickas.
The EC has identified Lithuania as a leader in business activity in the field of innovation. Public sector investment in research and experimental development (R&D) has grown particularly strongly, increasing by 15.3% in the last year alone. This has elevated Lithuania to 15th place in the EU in terms of this indicator. Businesses are also investing heavily in non-R&D innovation, with expenditure exceeding the EU average by 56.9%, and the number of trademark applications rising by 46.3%.
'The European Commission's scoreboard data confirms what we observe daily in our collaboration with Lithuanian innovators: our ecosystem is strengthening, and businesses are increasingly bold in developing and implementing smart solutions. While it is gratifying that Lithuania is rapidly catching up with European leaders, the goal is to grow faster than others in a targeted manner. Therefore, it is particularly important at this time to strengthen R&D partnerships, invest in knowledge-based services, and collaborate with businesses and scientists to achieve even more ambitious results,' says Patricija Reut, Acting Head of the Innovation Agency.
Significant growth has been recorded in the use of cloud computing, with this indicator increasing almost threefold since 2018. Venture capital investments have increased by more than 2.5 times over the same period. Lithuania also outperforms the EU average in terms of the number of companies implementing process innovations and the proportion of employees working in innovative companies.
Additionally, the country remains among the leaders in terms of the proportion of the population with higher education, which is almost 1.8 times higher than the EU average.
However, the scoreboard also highlights areas that require greater attention. Exports of knowledge-intensive services and business investment in R&D remain key challenges. The number of companies creating product innovations and cooperating with each other has also declined, falling 39.4% and 34.1% respectively below the previous year's level.
In 2025, the innovation scoreboard will include two new indicators for the first time: high-speed internet coverage and labour productivity. This demonstrates an even greater emphasis on the quality of digital infrastructure and innovation-driven growth. Labour productivity remains a challenge in Lithuania, currently standing at 31.9% of the EU average.
Ministry of the Economy and Innovation (EIMIN) is committed to strengthening the country's innovation ecosystem, promoting business and science cooperation, and fostering an environment conducive to smart investments and high-value growth.
Last updated: 07-08-2025
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