BALTIC TECH PARK IN KLAIPEDA IS GATHERING PACE – THE SECOND PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION IS UNDER WAY

On October 27, 2020 a time capsule was placed in the foundation of a new building facility of the SMK University of Applied Social Sciences, which symbolically serves as a start of the second development phase of the Baltic Tech Park.

The SMK, Baltic Tech Park and Lighthouse Innovation Infrastructure Fund have undertaken a joint initiative aimed at achieving a breakthrough in the development of Klaipeda city, at attracting and educating new talent and promoting entrepreneurship. As of September 2021 the infrastructure located in the neighbourhood of the Light House co-working centre will house the SMK study facilities and the first in the Western Lithuania Digital Innovation Centre.

The Baltic Tech Park is an ecosystem of open innovation creation that reflects modern economic and social trends and promotes social, emotional and business connections among different individuals and organisations. It is an innovative, energetically charged and continuously growing space of creativity and innovation meant for achieving progress in developing business models, digitalisation, in generating and implementing social, cultural and educational innovations. It is not only a physical infrastructure, but also a techno-cultural space ensuring comfort and convenience of work and rest.

"Locating SMK in the facilities of Baltic Tech Park indicates our strategic direction - our strive for integration into high added value creation chains. We see a big potential for developing technological and social innovations in cooperation with business and for creating new study and education programmes responding to the needs of businesses. We believe that Baltic Tech Park will become an exceptional centre of attraction in the Klaipeda city, thus the SMK‘s presence in the infrastructure will significantly contribute to the promotion of the entrepreneurship of students and to the development of science-business projects“, says Gabija Skucaite, Chancellor of SMK.

The added value of the Park will be generated based on the synergy principle by gathering entrepreneurs, experts, researchers, young talents and creators in one place. The objective is to use the new co-working and education facilities for combining different platforms of the creation of innovative products in one chain. Big emphasis in the infrastructure development process will be placed on the modality of premises, as well as on social and psychological comfort of clients.

"The open innovation model has been rapidly spreading worldwide, when organisations open up to external partners – start-ups, technology companies, innovation intermediaries - and jointly implement innovation programmes. The expertise of external partners and a new approach to business challenges enable the organisations to find more creative solutions and implement them with greater success. The co-working centres like the one we are creating in Klaipeda, have been rapidly developing worldwide – they grow and become something like science parks where individuals and organizations – professionals in different fields - in cooperation with each other innovate and make progress“, says Sarunas Butkus, Head of the Baltic Tech Park.

"The exceptional feature of this project is that the site is located in the industrial part of the city where new ideas on social progress, innovation and sustainability will be developed. Critical mass of innovation potential will be accumulated in one area: students will study in the Baltic Tech Park facilities, businesses and innovators will exchange ideas, test their proposed solutions immediately by creating prototypes and developing business. The process of designing of the building was directed at creating premises and classes tailored to studying specific technologies. The facade materials were chosen in order to reflect solid and memorable character of the building based on the general context of the Klaipeda city,“ says Paulius Latakas, Manager of 2L Architects.

Lighthouse Innovation Infrastructure Fund has plans for further development of such parks in the Baltic Sea region seeking to become a rapidly growing network fostering the co-working culture allowing businesses, education institutions, as well as service companies to create a sustainable economic and social ecosystem.