Largest Lithuanian Universities Join Their Efforts in the Field of Knowledge and Technology Transfer

In order to strengthen knowledge and technology transfer and intellectual property management activities, five Lithuanian universities: Vilnius University, Kaunas University of Technology, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Klaipeda University signed an agreement of joint activity and established the “TTO Lithuania” network. This is the first this sort of network in technology transfer area that research and study institutions in Lithuania have established.

The aim of the network is to unite knowledge and technology transfer professionals working in science and study institutions, creating opportunities for them to exchange professional practice knowledge and raise competence in the field of intellectual property management.

When developing partnerships with business companies operating in Lithuania, the universities seek to coordinate initiatives on knowledge and technology transfer, intellectual property protection and science-business cooperation. The network's action plan also includes the aim to strengthen cooperation between research and study institutions and public administration institutions by streamlining the processes of intellectual property management and technology transfer at national level. The technology transfer network is also expected to contribute to increasing the international competitiveness of research and study institutions.

The next step of “TTO Lithuania” in the first meeting of the network members is to elect the network coordinator and to agree on joint work plan. Although five largest Lithuanian universities have established the network, “TTO Lithuania” is open to other universities and research centres in Lithuanian.

The long-term perspective of “TTO Lithuania” is to establish a regional network of the Baltic States together with institutions of neighbouring countries, which would unite knowledge and technology transfer professionals working in science and study institutions.

The basis for the formation of the “TTO Lithuania“ network was the project “Baltic States Pilot Project on the Development of the Pool of Regional IP Commercialization Experts” coordinated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and implemented by the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Patent Offices. During the mentioned project, intellectual property management specialists took part in trainings and raised their competencies to become experts in this field in the Baltic States.