Mission-based science and innovation programmes to start in autumn with almost €78 million
The Ministry of the Economy and Innovation, together with the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, is launching mission-driven science and innovation programmes to help target investment in science and innovation, while tackling pressing societal challenges. These programmes will receive €77.7 million from the European Economic Recovery and Resilience Facility (ERF) until 2026. Launch events for these missions are foreseen already in August and early September, with the selection of projects to be announced in the autumn.
'Through these programmes, we aim to strengthen our country's science-business partnerships and accelerate the path of innovative services and products from the lab to the end user. The missions will allow us to mobilise and channel the joint efforts of business and science to address today's most pressing problems, and the consortia participating in the missions will have a broader range of opportunities to commercialise their products on international markets,' said the Minister for the Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė.
The newly established Innovation Agency will play a key role in bringing together business and science consortia, selecting the best and most promising proposals and mentoring the implementation of the projects themselves.
'We hope that the mission programmes, by bringing together science and business, will become a useful tool to help address the challenges facing the country's population. It will mobilise the country's strongest sectors and involve society itself, and invest heavily in high-level R&D and innovation. By developing scientific activities in the country, we also aim to increase the country's international competitiveness,' said Jurgita Šiugždinienė, the Minister of the Education, Science and Sport.
Almost €78 million of funding will be allocated to three mission themes: a safe and inclusive e-society, a smart and climate-neutral Lithuania, and innovations to improve health. The concept of the mission programmes builds on the European Commission's new practice of directing science and innovation to address societal challenges.
The mission programmes will foster joint science-business projects, develop or commercialise start-up and business ideas, conduct applied research, improve skills, and fill existing gaps in services and infrastructure for research and experimental development activities. The projects will have to be completed within three years.
The challenges of these mission programmes will be addressed by science and business in the priority areas of smart specialisation: health technologies and biotechnologies, new production processes, materials, technologies and information and communication technologies.
The missions will be carried out by consortia made up of research and study institutions and businesses, selected through a call for proposals. The consortia could also include other participants, such as non-governmental organisations and business associations, as appropriate.
Published by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania
Last updated: 21-09-2022
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