Klaipėda FEZ priorities – investment based on innovation and green energy

The Klaipėda FEZ management company has officially announced the innovation principles applied in its operations. The main highlights are prioritising modern, high and higher added value companies that generate and apply research and innovations, promoting investor cooperation with the local academic community, and creating further opportunities for the establishment of centres of excellence, facilitating R&D and startups.

Klaipėda FEZ indicates that higher added value activities are evaluated both when negotiating with new investors and assessing current partners’ development projects. Furthermore, Klaipėda FEZ commits to educating its clients and partners on innovation topics, organising seminars and practical workshops, as well as actively encouraging the FEZ business community to exchange knowledge and experience.

The FEZ management company is also announcing its plans for investment in the priority areas of digitalisation, scientific research and innovation, sustainable mobility and green energy. Such projects by the management company include already completed or planned for the near future solutions related to the internet of things, automation of utility services, traffic flow monitoring and smart parking, as well as the FEZ’s Industrial Innovation Competence Centre initiative.

According to the head of Klaipėda FEZ Eimantas Kiudulas, high added value, effective and green solutions have officially become the priority for the EU and Lithuania for the coming decades. Thus, Klaipėda FEZ looks to accelerate and encourage business modernisation and better acquaint society with the processes and success stories that have been successfully ongoing at the FEZ for some time now.

“Public opinion surveys indicate that the FEZ community is gradually shedding the image of “traditional industry.” Some of the FEZ’s recent new investors, including but not limited to the electric bus manufacturer Dancer, are companies based entirely on innovation, science and high tech. However, it is no less important to draw attention to tens of other companies at the FEZ, which started with traditional manufacturing but eventually discovered innovative activities, constantly improving processes, digital or energy solutions,” E. Kiudulas says.

According to him, plastics companies such as NEO GROUP or Retal Baltic Films are among the most notable examples of businesses discovering innovation alongside manufacturing. While they began their operations from manufacturing, both companies now have impressive and constantly growing research and development and testing laboratories. In addition, companies such as the food industry equipment manufacturer Lavango Engineering LT, the glass façade manufacturer Glassbel and others at the FEZ have also integrated the product development alongside manufacturing.

“Klaipėda FEZ, with almost 6,000 people employed in its territory, is an excellent example of successfully attracting investment to Lithuania. I am glad about the FEZ’s new initiatives to seek the entry of innovative companies because it is precisely such companies that create well-paid jobs for our talents and high qualification specialists. Moreover, innovative companies that cooperate with the scientific sector are the future of Lithuania’s economy,” Minister of Economy and Innovations Aušrinė Armonaitė said on Friday during a visit at Klaipėda FEZ.

Klaipėda FEZ also celebrates how its vision and strategy coincides with the “blue breakthrough” direction of Klaipėda city and its academic community, with a focus on clean technologies and industrial automation. Such a business and academic environment is a good example and source of ideas for businesses perceived as traditional, seeking and finding ever new ways to make their operations more effective and environmentally and community-friendly.

A survey of Klaipėda region residents from late 2020 indicated that progress, intelligence, and modernity are among the main factors that make local communities value Klaipėda FEZ.

You can find out more about the Klaipėda FEZ management company’s innovation principles and the FEZ business community’s planned and completed projects at www.fez.lt/smart