Innovation Support Measures
- EU Support
- Innovation vouchers
Innovation voucher is a small credit (a fixed sum of money) that entitles SME’s to buy R&D expertise or knowledge from research and educational institutions. Having received an innovation voucher, a company prepares a concise technical specification and contacts the research institution by selecting the needed service from the approved list of possible services for the companies provided by the research institutions. Having provided services to business companies for innovation vouchers, research institutions receive a fixed sum of money – LTL 10 thousand or LTL 20 thousand. A voucher worth LTL 10 thousand is financed 100 percent, while a voucher worth LTL 20 thousand is financed 75 percent. One company may receive one voucher per year. Support in innovation vouchers is provided for acquisition of technological (applied) or basic research solutions, as well as for advice on the relevant innovation questions which businesses may obtain from research institutions.
- Innovative public procurement
Introduction of innovation in the public sector is an important tool in the improvement of the quality of public services and addressing public and social issues. In the course of the coming years the Lithuanian innovative capacity will be further improved by means of innovative public procurement. Innovative public procurement is the public procurement where a contracting authority, for the purpose of purchasing goods, services or works, introduces into the procurement terms certain criteria calling suppliers to develop and offer innovative products (Strategy of the Development and Improvement of the Lithuanian Public Procurement System for the year 2009-2013).
The provisions of the currently effective Law on Public Procurement provide for the possibilities to carry out innovative public procurement. For instance, having in advance published any draft technical specifications for large-scale and enhanced importance projects and having opted for a competitive dialogue procedure the contracting authority may consult with the potential suppliers concerning any state-of-the-art implementation solutions prior to commencing the procurement, or at its inception stage. Such approach was also confirmed in the Guidelines on the application of the competitive dialogue (procurement method) approved by the Public Procurement Office. The contracting authority may reasonably expect to receive innovative offers by describing in technical specifications the targeted result, or by specifying the functional requirements of the procurement object, allowing submission of alternative offers, or applying, for the purpose of evaluation, the economic advantage criterion, etc. The Strategy of the Development and Improvement of the Lithuanian Public Procurement System for 2009-2013 provides that in 2013 the share of innovative procurement in Lithuania will account for 5 percent of all public procurement.
- Tax incentives
Corporate profit tax incentives for R&D:
Expenses incurred by companies carrying out R&D projects can be deducted from taxable income three times;
Long-term assets used in the R&D activities can be depreciated within two years.
Corporate profit tax incentives for investments into new technologies:
Companies carrying out investments into new technologies can reduce their taxable profit by up to 50%. Investment expenses exceeding this sum can be postponed to later, consecutive tax periods (up to five years).
- Information/Consultations
Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology (MITA):
It is the main governmental institution, responsible for implementation of innovation policy in Lithuania. Briefly, it is a national innovation agency. MITA provides free of charge services for clients from business, science and public sectors, interested in possibilities to develop strong cooperation relations with international partners and get financial support for research and innovation projects. The main activity is the coordination of national (high-tech, industrial biotechnology) and international programmes (FP7, EUREKA, EUROSTARS, CIP) of research, technological development and innovation and other financial schemes (innovation vouchers, protection of industrial property rights). MITA provides national financial support for projects participants. MITA also promotes business and science cooperation, commercialization of research and protection of intellectual property rights.
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Lithuanian Innovation Center:
The Public Institution Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LIC) is a non-profit organisation, providing innovation support services to enterprises, research institutions, industry associations and business support organisations.
Mission of Lithuanian Innovation Centre is provision of the innovation support services by implementing Lithuanian innovation policy. The main strategic goal of LIC is the increasing of Lithuanian international competitiveness by stimulating innovations in business. This goal is divided into the following objectives:
To foster capabilities of the companies to develop and implement innovations.
To accelerate commercialization of achievements of advanced sciences.
To decrease the risk of innovation implementation.
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Last date edited: 2012-05-08
