2.1. the Ministry of Education and Science to draft the legislation implementing the Plan for the Network of State Research Institutions Related to the Development of Centres (Valleys) of Science, Studies and Business approved by this resolution in accordance with the terms approved in the plan and to present the draft legislation to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.

2.2. The Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Endocrinology, Institute of Cardiology and Institute of Psychophysiology and Rehabilitation of Kaunas University of Medicine, with the participation of Kaunas University of Medicine, to submit proposals regarding a model of integration of the said institutes into the Ministry of Education and Science.

 

 

 

Prime Minister                                                                                 Gediminas Kirkilas

 

 

 

Ministry of Education and Science                                                Algirdas Monkevičius

 

 

 

 

Approved by

Resolution No 989 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 October 2008

 

 

1. The Reorganization Plan for the Network of State Research Institutions Related to the Development of Centres (Valleys) of Science, Studies and Business (hereinafter referred to as "the Plan") was drafted pursuant to the Concept for the Establishment and Development of Integrated Centres (Valleys) of Science, Studies and Business, approved by Resolution No 321 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 21 March 2007 (Valstybės žinios (Official Gazette) No 40-189, 2007), the National Lisbon Strategy Implementation Programme, approved by Resolution No 1270 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 22 November 2005 (Valstybės žinios (Official Gazette) No 139-5019, 2005), the Long-term Research and Development Strategy and the Programme for the Implementation of the Provisions of the Lithuanian White Paper on Science and Technologies, approved by Resolution No 1646 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 22 December 2003, World Bank study Lithuania – Aiming for a Knowledge Economy (2003), the Science Council of Lithuania study Proposals Regarding the Implementation of the Recommendations Presented in the World Bank Report "Lithuania. Development of a Knowledge Economy" (2004), the Agreement of Lithuania's Parliamentary Parties of 14 June 2007 on the Reorganization of the System of Science and Studies, the Green Paper The European Research Area. New Perspectives, adopted by the European Commission on 4 April 2007, and the recommendations of the expert group of the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (hereinafter referred to as "CREST"), drafted pursuant to the Operational Programme for Economic Growth 2007-2013 (approved by a European Commission decision on 30 July 2007).

 

2. Currently, Lithuania has 17 state research institutes and 18 university research institutes (hereinafter referred to as “research institutes”) (the situation of the institutions holding the status of state research establishment is not covered herein). The essential administrative difference between state a research institute and a university research institute is the fact that a third of the council members of a state research institute are appointed by the founder (the Government of the Republic of Lithuania) or by a Government-authorized institution, while at a university research institute they are appointed by the university senate. Other members of the council in either case are elected by the researchers of a research institute.

3. As many as 30 research institutes specialize in the areas of physical, biomedical and technological sciences, 4 research institutes work in the area of the humanities, and one institute – in the area of social sciences. Historically, the majority of research institutes specializing in physical and technological sciences were established to carry out research for the Soviet Union's industrial and defence needs. In different areas of science, the significance of research institutes also differs in terms of the general context of the system of science and studies. In 2004-2006, the institutes of biomedical sciences accounted for 55 per cent of the total research output of the national biomedical science sector, compared to 45 per cent contributed by the institutes of physical sciences, 37 per cent by the institutes of the humanities, 29 per cent by the institutes of technological sciences, and 3 per cent by the institutes of social sciences. It is noteworthy that the productivity indicators (measured in points) of research output in all areas of science, with the exception of the humanities, were lower for research institutes compared to universities. According to the assessment of the number of articles of the Scientific Information Institute databases per one statistical scientist (a statistical scientist equals one position of a scientist or a third of a position of a lecturer with a scientific or pedagogical title), the average indicator is 0.4 articles for research institutes and 0.5 articles for universities.

4. Geographically, research institutes are based in Vilnius city and Kaunas region with a few exceptions. Vilnius is home to 5 research institutes labouring in the area of humanities and social sciences and 15 specializing in physical, biomedical and technological sciences. Kaunas has 7 research institutes of biomedical and technological sciences, while Kaunas County boasts 6 agricultural and veterinary research institutes. One institute specialising in veterinary research is located in Radviliškis district. A small institute of biomedical sciences is based in Palanga. In principle, this geographical distribution of research institutes owes to historical circumstances: in the period between the two world wars (1918-1940), Kaunas, then the interim capital of Lithuania, and the surrounding region saw rapid development of agricultural sciences; meanwhile, in the Soviet period, the industry and the research institutes intended to meet its requirements were concentrated in Vilnius.

5. In Vilnius, territorial concentration of research institutes and university divisions specialising in similar areas is minimal, yet a certain degree of concentration of research institutes in the Visoriai-Santariškės zone and in Vilnius downtown as well as A. Goštautas street is undisputable. In Kaunas, research institutes are based in the proximity of university divisions specialising in related areas.

6. Based on 2006 data, research institutes employ 2,010 researchers (according to the number of posts). According to the number of researchers of research institutes and the scope of their activities, they are small establishments in the global context. In many economically advanced countries, high-level research institutes employ at least several hundred researchers, compared to Lithuania's average of 57. The staff of some of Lithuania's research institutes amounts to mere 10-20 researchers, i.e. the whole institute is comparable to a small standard division of a foreign research institute. Both the revenues (LTL 6.7 million on average) and the human resources of Lithuanian research institutes are rather poor. Unlike in many advanced western countries, research institutes here usually focus on fundamental research. That is revealed by the revenues received from research and development (hereinafter referred to as "R&D"), which amount to mere 7 per cent of an institute's total revenues. It is true that research institutes earn extra income, however it comes from commercial activities rather than R&D activities.

7. It is universally acknowledged that research and innovation are becoming the basis of knowledge economy. Creation of an effective European Research Area (hereinafter referred to as "ERA") is a strategic European Union (hereinafter referred to as "EU") initiative throughout the Lisbon Strategy. However, the review of the Lisbon Strategy inevitably requires upgrading of the ERA vision. The European Commission, concerned about the sluggish development of the ERA as well as about the fragmentary character of European, regional and national research programmes and political provisions, adopted the green paper The European Research Area. New Perspectives on 4 April 2007. It sets out the main provisions that facilitate dealing with R&D issues. The objective is to provide R&D with the following qualities: sufficient flow of competent scientists able to move sufficiently freely among research institutes, disciplines, sectors and countries; an integrated network of research infrastructure accessible to teams of research workers from Europe and around the world; superior quality research institutes productively contributing to the cooperation between the public and the private sectors; efficient information exchange, especially among research institutes and industrial companies, which involves society at large; well-coordinated research programmes and priorities, including major investment in public research activities programmed on the European level, together with common priorities, coordinated implementation and joint assessment; a European Research Area (ERA) open to the world, with special attention to the neighbouring countries and a strong commitment to address global problems together with European partners.

8. In order to create a uniform ERA, in which knowledge moves freely and research institutes and researchers compete on equal grounds, the European Commission aims to reduce the research gap between the backward and the most advanced research institutes. The opportunities to use EU structural funds in Lithuania are important in reducing the gap, however these resources are neither enough nor can they guarantee that the gap will be eliminated. Although EU structural funds provide excellent opportunities, specific integration mechanisms are also crucial as they would help to focus the available research potential and create an opportunity to form strong institutions of international scale.

9. Dispersion of the Lithuanian potential of science and studies and the absence of critical mass represent the main reasons why R&D lacks effectiveness and the activities of university studies are not sufficiently based on research. Implementation of the ERA consolidation principles proposed by the European Commission is especially significant and can make an essential contribution to the strengthening of the Lithuanian system of science and studies as well as to the reorganization of the network of research institutes. In Lithuania, it is necessary to gather people working in the R&D area and to concentrate and build R&D infrastructure at those institutions that boast the most qualified researchers and where equipment may be used in the most efficient manner. At the same time, Lithuanian research institutions would be provided with an opportunity to join the developed ERA network of research infrastructure.

10. The system of science and studies remains relatively unattractive to the most intelligent specialists. When the intellectual potential available in Lithuania is concentrated, the conditions for a more rational use of research infrastructure are created and the equipment of the research institutions is upgraded, competent researchers would be in a position to better utilize their capabilities both in solving R&D issues and in training top-level specialists. These institutions would become visible internationally, join the activities of international organizations dealing with R&D problems that are also relevant to Lithuania, and would finally be able to take advantage of the possibilities created by the ERA.

11. The level of business investment in R&D is primarily determined by the Lithuanian business structure, in which the most research-intensive business sectors of high and medium-high technologies occupy a relatively modest share. In 2006, business R&D expenditure totalled only 28 per cent of the country's total R&D expenditure. A distinct gap between business operators and institutions of science and studies is for the most part preconditioned by the fact that small and narrow-niche research institutes may offer businesses only a very limited range of services when the latter need to address the R&D issues they face. On the other hand, small research institutes are incapable of maintaining divisions engaged in commercialization of research results. That is also a disadvantage in the process of establishing new research-intensive businesses. According to the data of the Department of Statistics under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, employment in the high and medium technology industry in Lithuania went down from approximately 3 per cent in 2003 to 2.5 per cent in 2005. At the same time, employment in the high-tech (knowledge intensive) service sector decreased from 1.7 per cent to 1.5 per cent in the respective period.

12. The necessity to consolidate R&D resources on the institutional and simultaneously on the geographical level is emphasized not only in EU strategic documents. Attention to that was also drawn for a number of times in the findings of experts who evaluated the situation in Lithuania, namely those of the study Lithuanian Research Evaluation (1996) carried out by the Research Council of Norway, the World Bank study Lithuania – Aiming for a Knowledge Economy (2003), the Science Council of Lithuania study Proposals Regarding the Implementation of the Recommendations Presented in the World Bank Report "Lithuania. Development of a Knowledge Economy" (2004), a feasibility study on the development of the infrastructures of humanities and social sciences in Lithuania in the context of European Research Area by the Lithuanian Workgroup on the Humanities and Social Sciences (2005), Evaluation Report on Lithuania by the CREST mixed political experts' group of the Open Method of Cooperation (2007), and a study on the optimization of the infrastructure of science and studies by the National Development Institute.

 

13. The objective of the Plan is to concentrate the available human and material resources of R&D in order to create the conditions to use the R&D potential as effectively as possible in dealing with the issues important for the country, while making the best use of EU structural funds and Republic of Lithuania State Budget resources in developing human resources and R&D infrastructure.

14. Aiming for the objective set out in paragraph 13 of the Plan, the following tasks should be carried out:

15. The objective set out in paragraph 13 of the Plan will be pursued in accordance with the following principle: maximum contribution to the country's social and economic development is possible through a more intense dissemination of higher education and larger-scale research that enables business development.

 

16. In implementing the Plan, the following actions are envisaged:

16. 11. The Forensic Medicine Institute of Mykolas Romeris University will be incorporated into Mykolas Romeris University.

17. For the purpose of the incorporation of the research institutes enumerated in paragraphs 16.1-16.5 of the Plan as well as in order to develop joint activities, it is recommended to establish associations that would put forward proposals regarding:

18. The Ministry of Education and Science shall present to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania draft resolutions: