Partners explore regional innovation ecosystem in Kaunas
On 2–4 December, partners from Poland, Serbia, Greece, Italy, Hungary and Lithuania met in Kaunas to explore the region’s fast-growing innovation scene. The visit, organised as part of the InnoCoop project, gave participants the chance to learn first-hand about local research and development (R&D) strengths and discover new ideas for cooperation.
Funded by Interreg Europe, InnoCoop connects organisations and regional authorities across Europe that want to work more closely on innovation and support research-intensive businesses. The meeting in Kaunas was an important step in this work, offering a closer look at how the region encourages collaboration between companies, researchers and public bodies.
Learning from Kaunas’ innovation environment
Coordinated by Tech-Park Kaunas, the three-day programme combined visits to companies and startups with discussions on local R&D initiatives. For many partners, it was a valuable opportunity to see how organisations in the region turn ideas into practical solutions and where future cooperation could grow.
Project experts Tomas Černevičius and Ieva Verbeck from Tech-Park Kaunas said they were pleased that the packed agenda benefited both international partners and local organisations. The exchange of experiences, they added, helped spark new thinking on how to support businesses and develop future research activities.
Partners also attended the Kaunas Startup Awards, where they learned about successful investment stories and met promising young ventures – an insight into the city’s energetic startup community.
Visiting companies across the region
During the visit, partners explored a range of innovative companies and services in and around Kaunas.
At Freya Cultivation Systems, they saw a strawberry cultivation technology that uses automation to reduce land use by half and cut production costs. In Birštonas, the vice mayor presented the resort town’s development plans and its potential for growth.
The Innovation Agency, along with Spiečius companies Čiulbantys projektai and Daugiau nei sportas, showcased new approaches to leisure, education and health services, including ways of applying lifestyle medicine in everyday practice.
Partners also visited Nando – one of the Baltic and Nordic region’s leading producers of microbial biostimulants and surfactants – which operates one of the largest R&D centres in Northern Europe. Other highlights included Žemdirbių konsultacijos’ leaf-scanning technology, Sotu Sotu’s creative food innovations such as powdered honey and cold beet soup, and Agrodrone’s drone and AI tools for detecting wildlife paths.
The InnoCoop meeting in Kaunas strengthened international collaboration and encouraged partners to plan new exchanges and joint initiatives that further connect Europe’s regional innovation ecosystems.
Many participants noted that their experience in Lithuania left them eager to return – both for future professional partnerships and to explore more of the country’s wellness and tourism offers.