RTO Lithuania has successfully completed the first fully funded PhD Innovation Camp, bringing together doctoral researchers from Lithuanian research institutes for two days dedicated to innovation, entrepreneurship, research commercialization, communication, and idea development.
The camp aimed to strengthen researchers’ competences in transforming scientific knowledge into solutions addressing real societal and industry challenges, while also encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation-oriented thinking.
The programme was led by Minded VDU trainers Edvinas Grauželis and Mindaugas Šerpytis, who guided participants through practical workshops focused on idea development, communication, entrepreneurial thinking, and innovation mindset.
An important part of the camp was the open discussion session with representatives from business, science, and innovation ecosystems. Participants had the opportunity to openly discuss entrepreneurial pathways, innovation ecosystems, commercialization challenges, and real-life experiences with Justin Taruska — CEO of Nando, business angel and lecturer at KTU & VDU; Edvinas Genys — Founder & CEO of Food Ideas, Advisory Board Member at Biohifas and Innovation Technologist at Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC); Paulius Gečys — Head of Laser Micro-processing Technologies Laboratory at Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) and CEO at Lightdensity; as well as Agnė Bertašienė — Head of Science, Innovation and Projects Department at Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI).
Participants highly appreciated the opportunity to hear different professional perspectives directly from experts working across science, innovation, startups, and industry. The session encouraged active discussions, honest reflections, and numerous questions about the realities of transforming research into practical solutions and future ventures.
The final pitching session provided participants with an opportunity to present ideas developed during the camp and receive practical feedback helping further strengthen their concepts.
It’s important that support for participants will continue even after the camp. Researchers will have access to additional consultations for further idea development through the project “Pre-acceleration and Mentorship” implemented by Research Council of Lithuania (LMT) under the 2022–2030 Development Programme managed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania and co-funded by the European Union.
Participants also received invitations to The Spin-Off Launchpad side event organised by Research Council of Lithuania (LMT) during EBAN Congress Vilnius 2026, further strengthening connections between research-based innovation, entrepreneurship, and international investment ecosystems.
The initiative highlighted the strong innovation potential of young researchers in Lithuania and the importance of creating supportive environments for early-stage research commercialization and interdisciplinary collaboration.