Absorption of EU Funds in the Area of Competitiveness, Research and Innovation: The Case of Lithuania

1. Absorption of EU Funds in the Area of Competitiveness, Research and Innovation: The Case of Lithuania Dr. Nerija Putinaitė Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education and Science, Lithuania Competitiveness through Research and Innovation: Strategies, Policies and Incentives (WB) Sofia, Bulgaria 21-06-2010

2. Content • EU structural funds – attention to R&D infrastructure, human resources and environment • R&D Programme for Cooperation Between Public R&D and Business Sectors - Integrated Research, HE and Business Centers (Valleys) • Common National Integrated Programme – 12 national integrated programmes in R&D knowledge susceptive economical sectors • Researchers Career Programme - professional improvement of researchers at all stages of their career • National Higher Education Programme – skills and competences of students and professors, investment into study infrastructure • Concentration of Lithuanian R&D potential • Reorganization of Institutes’ Network • National Science Programmes

3. Science and studies concentration in Lithuania

4. Lithuania and the research, 2009 • 3.5 mil. inhabitants • 200 000 students (60 000 in the colleges): 63 per 1000 inhabit. • 12 000 researchers, 6000 with doctoral degrees • 300 - 400 new doctoral degrees each year • 6,7 % researchers in business and industry • Investments in R&D - 0,8 % of GDP

5. ALLOCATIONS FOR SCIENCE AND STUDIES IN 2008-2010 (Millions, €) 267.916 164.143 99.903 2010 2009 305.673 77.759 94.974 329.288 83.168 84.173 2008 0 300 600 State budget funding EU SF and gross funding Special programmes funding Financing

6. Structural Funds Programmes 2007-2013 • R&D Programme for Cooperation Between Public R&D and Business Sectors (218,06 mil. €) • Common National Integrated Programme (97,43 mil. €) • Researchers Career Programme(182,5 mil. €) • National Higher Education Programme (221,28 mil. €) Research Knowledge and competitiveness Studies Business

7. Stimulation of science and business cooperation Investments into: R&D infrastructure, human resources and environment

8. R&D Programme for Cooperation Between Public R&D and Business Sectors

9. Integrated Research, HE and Business Centers (Valleys)Projects

10. Integrated Research, HE and Business Centers (Valleys)Projects

11. Integrated Research, HE and Business Centers (Valleys)Funding Sources (mil. €)

12. Common National Integrated Programme

13. Coordination of National Integrated Programmes Implementation List of Projects of twelve National Integrated Programmes Confirmed: • Biotechnology and Biopharmacy; • Joint Laser, New Materials, Electronics, Nanotechnology and Applied Physical Sciences and Technologies; • Sustainable Chemistry; • IT sector; • Medicine sciences; • Sustainable use of nature envirenment; • Mechatronics; • Development of Civil Engineering Sector and Transport; • Lithuanian Creative and Cultural Industries; • Humanities and Social Sciences; • Maritime sector; • Agriculture, Forestry and Food sector. There are 34 projects developed on the basis of these programmes. Allocations distributed to them - 177,16 mln. Lt The funding for the implementation of the projects of strengthening of study infrastructure will reach beneficiaries on the second quarter of 2010 year.

14. Funding of National Integrated Programmes(mil. €)

15. Researchers Career Programme

16. Researchers Career Programme: Instruments

17. Examples of “soft” instruments • State aid for the employment of highly qualified personnel in SMEs (18.38 mil. €) • Aim: increasing the number of highly qualified personnel in SMEs, promoting R&D in knowledge intensive sectors of economy • Target group: highly qualified personnel (researchers, R&D operating personnel with tertiary education degree and at least 5 years of relevant professional experience) • Students’ scientific practice (1.45 mil. € ) • Aim: creation of possibilities for students to get familiar with R&D projects executed by the groups of most known scientists’ and science and studies institutions in Lithuania • Target group: students • Students’ of Master level practice in foreign companies • Aim: creation of opportunities for MA students to gain skills in applied R&D • Target group: MA students

18. Stimulus for R&D commercialization Law on Science and Studies Art. 82 Part 1: “Science and studies institutions have the ownership of property rights, arising from results of intellectual activities, gained according to the agreement or according to the order, set by laws.” Recommendations for Lithuanian science and studies institutions regarding the rights arising from the results of intellectual activities, approved by the order of the Minister of Education and Science (December 1, 2009).

19. Recommendations for Lithuanian science and studies institutions regarding the rights arising from the results of intellectual activities • Recommendations– is a consulting guide, setting the guidelines for Lithuanian science and studies institutions on the rights, arising from the results of intellectual activities, and their use, disposal and management. • It is recommended to include IPR policy (with implementation instruments and monitoring) into institution’s long-term strategy and appoint a person or allocate a structural unit dealing with IPR issues (possibility to delegate this to separate technology transfer office). • Recommendation also include the provisions on: • Rights and obligations of IP creators and science and studies institutions (personal non-property rights to IP results belong to the authors, but property rights the author may transfer to the third person without prior informing a science and study institution, unless the property rights already belong to the science and study institution according to inner legal act or the agreements.) • IPR protection, disclosure, IPR distribution and publication • Commercialization and distribution of profit, gained from the results of intellectual activities • Conflict solving, information and teaching about IPR • Encouragement to create and commercialize results of the intellectual activities.

20. Plans • Open international tenderfor the selection of the Valley Monitoring Groupexperts published • Funding Contracts of the Projects of National Integrated Programs will be signed • Regulation basis formanagement of open-access centres • Legal basis of the Science and Technology Parks renewed

21. Lithuania aims 2% of GDP 2020

22. Reorganization of Institutes’NetworkPrevious Situation Before reorganization of State Research Institutions’ Network there was: • 17 State Research Institutes • 18 University Research Institutes • 10 State Research Institutions After consolidation: • 5 Integrated Centers of Science and Research • 6 State Research Institutes • (17 Institutes was integrated into universities)

23. Consolidation of Institutes The following actions taken: 1. from state research institutes, other university research institutes and some other state research institutions 11 state research institutes were formed :

24. National Science Programmes National Science Programmes – one of the measures of program-based and competition-based R&D project funding. Planning and Performance course of the National Science Programmes is regulated by the Regulation of the National Science Programmes List of National Science Programmesapproved by the Government:

25. Challenges • Strenghtening of studies,science and business integration for growth of Lithuania’s economy • Development of partnership betweenscience and business • Best practiceexamples of partnerships • Successful implementation of EU structural funds projects

26. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!