Million worth of investments: the Baltic Digital Innovation Center is being built in Klaipėda.
Million worth of investments: the Baltic Digital Innovation Center is being built in Klaipėda.
Klaipėda residents, the founders of Baltic Tech Park, are bringing an exciting vision to life by implementing a project worth 5.47 million, for the construction of the Baltic Digital Innovation Center. The project was approved on August 2020 and will be partly financed by EU funds.
Construction will begin this year, in a space over 2,000 square meters, and will incorporate 3D printing, robotics, digital design, electronics, neuromarketing, metal and wood processing, as well as IT laboratories, where members and customers of the Baltic Digital Innovation Center can perform tests using the most advanced technologies. Expert assistance and advice will be provided in the areas of technology development, artificial intelligence, digital engineering solutions, production planning and financing of innovative projects.
United Companies in the Region
The Baltic Digital Innovation Center was established in April 2019 by cooperation agreement. The agreement was signed by the first 11 members, including Klaipeda City Municipality, Klaipedos Nafta, Klaipeda University, Energy of Klaipeda, Klaipeda Bus Park and others. This agreement included the decision to create new services and products, to provide consultations on the implementation and management of digital innovation project while developing cooperation between the public sector, and the business and science sectors, and to prepare an appropriate infrastructure for research and experimental development.
The center’s services will be particularly relevant for organizations operating in the industrial and maritime sectors, mostly focusing on start-ups with growth potential and organizations creating high added value.
Valley in the Baltic Region
The planned project will create a significant impetus for the development of the Baltic Digital Innovation Center into a complex valley of business and innovation, providing a wide range of business digitization services in the Baltic region.
The activities of the Digital Innovation Center contribute to the city development strategy “Klaipeda 2030” approved by the Klaipeda City Municipal Council, one of the strategic directions of which – the development of an advanced industrial economy with high added value technologies.
According to Klaipeda City Mayor Vytautas Grubliauskas, the establishment of an innovation center is necessary for the city’s development: “The digital innovation center once seemed like an unrealistic idea, today it is a reality. Klaipeda is becoming a prominent player in digital innovation processes and we are inspired by the significant efforts of young people, members of the Baltic Digital Innovation Center. Such projects can become a beacon for a breakthrough in city’s development strategy. What’s even better is that this is just the beginning.”
Will Develop Gradually
The concept of the Baltic Tech Park innovation valley was created and is implemented by Šarūnas Butkus, resident of Klaipeda. Butkus says that this stage of development of the Digital Innovation Center is very organic: “In January 2019, we opened one of the most modern cooperation spaces, Light House. Currently, about 200 specialists and companies work in the cooperation spaces, such as Interactio, Iscope, Devbridge, Software development academy, Craftsoft, Biomapas, AmberCell Solutions, Rehau, operates Versli Lietuva and business incubator Spiečius. During the first year of Light House’s operation, more than 100 internal and external events and training sessions were implemented, and a community of start-ups, advanced organizations and highly qualified specialists of the region was formed. It is logical that the Digital Innovation Center will be built next to the Light House, in the same territory, on Liepų Street.”
Ignas Aničas, the coordinator of the Digital Innovation Center, states: “We plan to go beyond this project – we are actively preparing to participate in the selection of European digital innovation centers by assembling the competencies of Baltic Digital Innovation Center members and other partners in the fields of artificial intelligence, cyber security, RPA, digital engineering, construction solutions and production planning that could be used to boost innovation in the maritime industry.”
