Science and technology park is a legal person whose main function is to stimulate processes of scientific knowledge communication and technology dissemination, to create conditions for commercializing research results, to foster relations between science and business, and to promote culture of innovations.  Science and technology parks create favourable conditions for establishment of enterprises which carry out applied research and experimental (social, cultural) development works, and implement innovations.

Science and technology parks are established, operate, can be restructured, and cease to exist in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Civil Code and other legal acts. One of the members of science and technology parks must be a higher education and research institution (Law on Higher Education and Research, Article 15).
 

Law of Republic of Lithuania on Higher Education and Research created the conditions for Lithuanian research and higher education institutions to obtain proprietary rights on their results from intellectual activities, obtained under contract or by law.

Lithuanian research and higher education institutions, which have changed their legal status from the budgetary to public institution, will have the possibility to apply variety of principles of intellectual property management, in order to promote commercialization of R&D results. In this way research and higher education institutions will improve their economic and social environment or influence the results of their activities, match the interests and needs of business, industry representatives and academic partners, at the same time contributing to general state progress and wealth creation.

Lithuanian research and higher education institutions can use an advisory guide which provides the guidelines on the management, usage and disposal of the rights, raising from intellectual activity results. Recommendations for Lithuanian research and higher education institutions on the  management, usage and disposal of the rights, raising from intellectual activity results include the provisions on the protection, disclosure, distribution and publication of IPR, commercialization of results of intellectual activities and distribution of the return from the results of intellectual activities, provisions on conflict solving and provisions on dissemination and training.

Useful links:

• The State Patent Bureau;
• Patent Attorneys;
• Patent Information Center;
• The World Intellectual Property Organization;
• European Patent Office.

The main sphere of activity of Agency‘s for Science, Innovation and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the MITA) is the participation in the implementation of  innovation policy and policy of development of innovations necessary for research and experimental (technological) development, coordination, administration and financing of the above-mentioned policy related programmes and instruments.  Ministry of Education and Science and Ministry of Economy implement the foundation rights of the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LIC) provides support for innovation services in business, for the science and academic institutions, for Lithuanian associated business structures and for business support organizations (Currently LIC copartners are the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education and Science and the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists).

Profit tax reliefs for investments in R&D are regulated by Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Income Tax. The following incentives are applied to companies investing into R&D:

• triple deduction - expenses incurred by companies while carrying out R&D as well as by acquiring R&D carried out in EEA countries or countries with DTA can be deducted from taxable income thrice.

• super-accelerated depreciation - acquisition price of fixed assets used in the R&D activities can be written-off within two years.

• eligibility - all investments into R&D disregarding the type of  company or the amount of the investment qualify.

More information - State Tax Inspectorate, phone number 1882.

Strategy of innovations

Lithuanian Innovation Strategy for the year 2010-2020- the long-term strategic planning document, which sets vision, objectives, goals and results to be achieved in the sphere of innovations up to 2020.  The purpose of this Strategy is to mobilize and manage state resources effectively: create competitive knowledge economy based on the latest technologies and qualified human resources.

Useful links:

• Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology;
• Lithuanian Innovation Centre;
• Statistics Lithuania.

High technology Development Programme

The goal of the High-tech Development Programme for the year 2007-2013 - to develop in Lithuania already existing directions of high-tech production with long-range global extent perspective, which have research potential and would enable manufacturing of products competitive on the world market. Programme objectives are to develop research and experimental development in these areas: biotechnology, mechatronics, laser technology, information technology, nanotechnology and electronics.

Industrial Biotechnology Development Programme

The goal of Industrial Biotechnology Development Programme for the year 2007-2010  is to reduce Lithuania`s dependence on imported non-renewable raw materials, in this way using more efficient existing agricultural and forestry resources, reducing pollution and greenhouse effect and developing modern technologies.
Programme objectives:

• to develop chemical materials from biomass  technologies;
• to develop biotechnology products and bio-diagnostic methods for industry, agriculture and health protection;
• to develop biocatalysts and biotechnological processes;
• to use local raw materials suitable for industrial biotechnology and develop new sources of biomass in more efficient way.

• In December 18th, 2006, the European Parliament and European Council approved by consensus the 7 th Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (hereinafter - 7FP) for the period from 2007 to 2013.

7FP is the main European Union's funding instrument for research and technology development. Programme’s budget exceeds over 53 milliard euro. 7FP consists of four specific programmes: “Cooperation”, “Ideas”, “People” and “Capacities”.  
Also, 7FP finance direct actions of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the actions covered by the Euratom Framework Programme.

Participants of 7FP projects may be universities, research institutes, companies or individual researchers. National contact institutions for 7FP programme in Lithuania are the Research Council of Lithuania and the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology.

• European research, technology development and cooperation programme EUREKA is the network of European countries, which objective is to promote industrial and scientific cooperation, implementing projects, that create competitive products, processes and services based on the most advantage technologies. In Lithuania “Eureka” programme is coordinated by the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology.

• EUROSTARS is European innovation programme, initiative of European Commission (EC) and the "Eureka", developed under the EU Treaty, Article 169. “Eurostars” programme is specially designed to finance small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which perform R&D and invest in innovations and new technologies. In Lithuania Eurostars programme is administered by the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology.

• BONUS-169 integrates the Baltic Sea system research into a durable, cooperative, interdisciplinary, well integrated and focused multinational programme in support of the region’s sustainable development. This programme encourages high-level multilateral R&D, that can help to build new, intelligent, ecosystem-based Baltic sea management, coherent ecosystem and sustainable usage of its resources . In Lithuania "Bonus" programme is managed by the Research Council of Lithuania.

• COST - European intergovernmental programme of cooperation in science and technology areas, which coordinates R&D implemented by national funds. The programme promotes cooperation between European countries, aims to reduce fragmentation in R&D and open up European research area for collaboration in the world. In Lithuania the programme COST is coordinated by the Research Council of Lithuania.

• GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) is the European Programme for the establishment of a European capacity for Earth Observation, which objective is to develop GMES and its initial practical operations (for the year 2011 - 2013) financing with the European Community funding legal framework and in this way ensure the continuity of the GMES components after 2011.

GMES has been an Earth monitoring initiative led by the European Union and carried out in partnership with the Member States and the European Space Agency ("ESA"). Its primary objective is to provide, under the EU control, information services which give access to accurate data and information in the field of the environment and security and are tailored to the needs of users. Land monitoring allows collecting of information about the planet's physical, chemical and biological systems or in general performing natural environment monitoring.

Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Earth Monitoring Programme (GMES) and its Initial Operations (2011 - 2013).

In order to increase Lithuanian publicity of science and technology, activate public participation in this area, Strategy for Science and Technology Popularization in Lithuania was developed. This strategy aims to create connections between society and academic community and higher education and research institutions.

Lithuanian Academy of Sciences has developed and soon will begin the project “Development and Implementation of National System of Science Popularization Measures”. Main objective of the project is to popularize science in society, to promote dialogue between researchers and the public. During the project the following activities are foreseen:

• organize the awards and support competitions;
• organize science festivals and diverse science in society events;
• develop science popularization programs, including audio-visual tools, for children and young people;
• develop and/or improve researchers skills on communicating about science in popular way in order to convey scientific ideas to the society.