Research partnerships for green and digital transition

Tag: Lithuanian Energy Institute

  • RTO Lithuania Call for Collaborative Pilot Research Projects Launched

    Three Lithuanian RTOs – the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI), and the Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC) – have announced today an annual joint call for pilot research projects for 2025. This initiative aims to foster the interdiscplinary and cross-institutional collaboration between three RTOs in addressing key national and societal challenges for a sustainable, climate-resilient and secure Lithuania.

    The call offers funding of up to €30,000 per project (€10,000 for each research group) and focuses on three key areas:

    • Smart/Sustainable Technologies
    • Environmental Technologies
    • Defence Technologies

    Projects must involve researchers from all three participating institutions. Successful projects are expected to result in high-impact scientific publications and lead to a further follow-up – the submissions for national and international R&D&I funding calls, thus providing a launch pad for emerging ideas that can have longer impact.

    An information event will be held at FTMC in Vilnius on March 5, where potential applicants can present their project ideas and find partners. For more information and registration, interested researchers can visit: https://forms.office.com/e/nC5Pe1rt5Q

    The deadline for submitting applications is March 31, 2025. The projects will have to be completed by March 31, 2026.

    Call documents:

    Call for Collaborative Pilot Projects
    RTO LT interinstitutional project rules 2025
    RTO application form 2025

    Contact persons:

  • Lithuanian Energy Institute and Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Join Historic MIT Cooperation Agreement

    Lithuanian Energy Institute and Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Join Historic MIT Cooperation Agreement

    Two members of RTO Lithuania – Lithuanian Energy Institute and the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry – are among the key partners in a groundbreaking cooperation agreement signed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on January 28, 2024, at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania.

    The agreement establishes the MIT-Lithuania Seed Fund, which will promote cutting-edge research collaborations between MIT faculty and Lithuanian researchers. The $900,000 initiative, spread over three years, is part of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) programme.

    As consortium members, both institutes will participate in various forms of cooperation, including joint scientific research, technology projects, innovation development, and international mobility of researchers. The partnership aims to address key areas such as renewable energy, sustainable environment, and agro-innovation.

    The Lithuanian Energy Institute was represented at the signing ceremony by its Director, Prof. Dr. Saulius Gudžius, who also participated in a panel discussion titled Partnership between Lithuania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: preparing to play in the top league.

    This historic collaboration positions Lithuania to become a regional leader in science and innovative solutions, while strengthening the country’s transatlantic ties and increasing its visibility in the international arena.

  • RTO Lithuania prepares the S&T policy recommendations for the new government

    RTO Lithuania prepares the S&T policy recommendations for the new government

    The Association of Research and Technology Organizations (RTO Lithuania), representing three leading Lithuanian research institutes, has presented comprehensive recommendations for strengthening the country’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) ecosystem.

    The recommendations emphasize Lithuania’s potential to become a leading STI country while highlighting the need for fundamental changes in the current system. Among the key proposals is the initiation of a National Research, Technology and Innovation Programme focused on climate resilience and strategic autonomy, covering areas such as plant technologies, semiconductors, and renewable energies.

    A major emphasis is placed on bridging the gap between industry, research institutes, and universities through an Excellence in Applied Sciences programme. The association also calls for enhanced collaboration between science, business, and investors through pilot demonstration projects.

    To address brain drain and attract talent, RTO Lithuania recommends establishing a researcher attraction grant programme coordinated by the Lithuanian Research Council, including support for returning Lithuanian researchers and foreign experts.

    The recommendations also focus on reforming the scientific evaluation system, making it less dependent on quantitative indicators and more aligned with EU Research Area reforms. Additionally, the association proposes improvements to the industrial doctorate program and calls for increasing the number of PhD students while enhancing their study conditions.

    A crucial point in the recommendations addresses research funding, highlighting the current shortfall in R&D expenditure (0.47% of GDP) and emphasizing the need to reach the targeted 0.75% of GDP by the end of 2024, as agreed in the Agreement between Lithuanian political parties.

    The proposals also include strengthening science diplomacy, increasing internationalization through joint research programs, and enhancing funding for the Next 100 programme, which supports student internships at leading global institutions.

    These recommendations were presented by Sigitas Rimkevičius, President of the Association’s Governing Board, representing the collective vision of the Centre for Physical and Technological Sciences, the Lithuanian Energy Institute, and the Lithuanian Agrarian and Forestry Research Centre.

    The document can be found here: S&T policy recommendations

  • Collaboration between LAMMC and LEI scientists

    Collaboration between LAMMC and LEI scientists

    We are pleased that scientists from the RTO Lithuania association members, representatives of the LAMMC and LEI, PhD student Greta Striganavičiūtė and Dr. Marius Praspaliauskas, recently participated in the international HORIZON Europe XTRACT “A Sustainable Ecosystem for the Innovative Resource Recovery and Complex Ore Extraction” project meeting in Greece. Their participation is a great example of cooperation between the RTO Lithuania association members.
    Interdisciplinary cooperation is essential for achieving breakthroughs in sustainability and climate change research.

    More information about the project: news article in Lithuanian.