Research Reform in Lithuania

1
Research Reform in Lithuania

• Lina Domarkiene
• Secretary
• of the Ministry of Education and Science
• Vilnius
• 05 May 2009

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• RD System (2007)
• HE sector
• 22 universities
• 28 colleges
• 10 200 researchers (5 000 PhD)
• Government sector
• 17 State Research Institutes (subordinated to
  MES)
• 18 University Research Institutes
• 7 State Research Establishments (subordinated to
  other ministries)
• 1 700 researchers (1 000 PhD)
• Business eterprise sector
• 1 500 researchers (170 PhD)

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• RD System
• Total RD personnel 18 500
• RD personnel per 1000 labour force
• Lithuania 11.5 (2007)
• EU-27 13.3 (2006)
• Total number of researchers 13 400 (2007)
• Total number of researchers (FTE) - 8 489 (2007)
• 8 036 (2006)
• Researchers (FTE) per thousand labour force
• Lithuania 5.1 (2006)
• EU-27 5.6 (2006)

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• Human Resources
• Researchers (FTE) by sector of performance

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• Human resources
• Tertiary graduates per thousand population aged
  20-29 in science and engineering (2005)
• LT 18.8
• EU-27 12.9
• Highly qualified scientific and technical
  workers as of labour force (2006)
• LT 16.6
• EU-27 15.4

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• RD Expenditure, 2007
• HE sector 0.42 GDP
• Government sector 0.17 GDP
• Business eterprise sector 0.23 GDP
• GERD
• Lithuania 0.82 GDP
• EU-27 1.83 GDP

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• RD Expenditure
• By main sources of funds ()

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• RD Expenditure
• By sector of performance ()

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Scientific and technological outputs

• Export of high technology products
• Share of total export, (2006)
• LT 4.65
• EU-27 16.65
• Employment in high- and medium-high-technology
  manufacturing sectors
• Share of total employment, (2006)
• LT 2.48
• EU-27 6.60
• Employment in knowledge-intensive sectors
• Share of total employment, (2006)
• LT 25.58
• EU-27 32.78

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Scientific and technological outputs

• EPO patents per million population (2003)
• LT 5.8
• EU-27 128
• Number of scientific publications per million
  population
• LT (2003) 165
• EU-27 (2003) 639
• LT (2008) 490

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Governance of RD system

• RD is the responsibility of the Ministry of
  Education and Science
• Department of Science and Technology
• planning and implementing the state RD policy
• coordinating RD activity of Lithuanian research
  and HE institutions
• coordinating and promoting international RD
  activities
• Innovation is the responsibility of the Ministry
  of Economy
• Division of Innovation and Technology

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• Reasons for RD Reform
• Low efficiency of RD system
• Insufficient cooperation between industry and
  public RD
• Research and HE system is fragmented and rigid
• Insufficient links between HE and research

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• Major Step Implementing RD Reform
• Preparation of the draft of the Law on Science
  and Studies and adoption of it by Seimas on 30
  April

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• Major Areas Implementing RD Reform
• Governance
• Funding
• Research-business partnership
• Infrastructure
• Human resources

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• 1. Governance, networking and monitoring
• Lithuanian Research Council has been transformed
  into research funding institution
• Centre for monitoring and analysis of the RD and
  HE system (MOSTA) has been established
• Research institutes network is under
  transformation

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• Governance, networking and monitoring
• Research institutes network will be optimised
  respectively
• The Reorganization Plan for the Network of State
  Research Institutions Related to the Development
  of Centres (Valleys) of Science, Studies and
  Business approved by Resolution No 989 of 1
  October 2008 of the Government of. The MoES shall
  present to the Government draft resolutions
  before 1 June 2009, regarding
• The following research institutes incorporated
  into the University of Agriculture
• the Water Management Institute of the Lithuanian
  University of Agriculture
• the Agricultural Engineering Institute of the
  Lithuanian University of Agriculture
• The following institutes incorporated into the
  Lithuanian Veterinary Academy
• the Veterinary Institute of the Lithuanian
  Veterinary Academy
• the Institute of Animal Science of the Lithuanian
  Veterinary Academy
• The following research institutes incorporated
  into Kaunas University of Technology
• the Food Institute of Kaunas University of
  Technology
• the Institute of Physical Electronics of Kaunas
  University of Technology
• the Institute of Architecture and Construction of
  Kaunas University of Technology.
• The Institute of Thermal Insulation incorporated
  into Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
• The Institute of Theoretical Physics and
  Astronomy incorporated into Vilnius University.
• The MoES shall present to the Government draft
  resolutions before 1 April 2011, regarding
• the establishment of a state research institute,
  the Life Sciences Centre (to merging the
  Institute of Biochemistry and the Institute of
  Biotechnology)
• the establishment of a state research institute,
  the Centre of Innovative Medicine (to merging the
  Immunology Institute of Vilnius University and
  the Institute of Experimental and Clinical
  Medicine of Vilnius University)
• the establishment of a state research institute,
  the Nature Research Centre (to merging the
  Ecology Institute of Vilnius University, the
  Institute of Geology and Geography and the
  Institute of Botany)

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• 2. Funding
• Programmes for the development of High
  Technologies and Industrial Biotechnology
• The following National research programmes are
  under preparation Future energy Nonacute
  nonzymotic diseasesLithuanian ecosystems
  climate change and impact of man Social
  challenges to national security Healthy and safe
  food The state and the nation heritage and
  identity
• National Integrated Programmes under SF support
  scheme in key economic areas are under
  preparation
• General National Research, Science and Business
  cooperation Programme

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• Funding
• National Integrated Programmes under SF support
  scheme
• The following National Integrated Programmes are
  already drafted
• - Biotechnology and biopharmacy
• - Information technologies
• - Sustainable chemistry
• - Mechatronic
• - Lasers, new materials, electronics and
  nanotechnologies
• - Applied physical sciences and technologies
• - Medical sciences
• - Lithuanian cultural industries.
• The following National Integrated Programmes are
  under preparation
• - Transport
• - Civil engineering
• - Social sciences and humanities
• - Sustainable usage of environment
• - Innovation in services
• - Knowledge management and innovation.

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• Funding
• General National Research, Science and Business
  cooperation Programme under SF support scheme
• The key objective of this programme, that is
  financed from 2007-2013 SF, is to strengthen RD
  infrastructure by implementing Valleys
  programmes. Its budget is 700 mln Lt (litas). Up
  to now there was made one contract for 100
  milion Lt. ( Vilnius university project The
  creation of national Comunication and Information
  center in Sunrise Valley). It is expected to
  contract the rest budget of this Programme in
  2009-2010, so starting Valleys programme
  implementation by their stakeholders.

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• 3. Research-business partnership
• Five Integrated Research, HE and Business Centers
  (valleys) developed by consortia of universities,
  industry and municipal/ regional governments
  (programmes were approved in 2008)
• Measures for support of PPP and scienceeconomy
  interface designed in SF programmes
• The amendment to the Law on Profit Tax (was
  approved in 2008) allows to apply tax incentives
  for the private businesses which invest in RD.
• Legal obstacles for commercialization of research
  results gradually eliminated (Articles on
  Management and Use of Property, including IPR, of
  HE and research institutions are included in the
  Law on Science and Studies)
• Recommendations on management of IPR at state
  higher education institutions are planned to be
  prepare by the MoES

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• Research-business partnership
• Development of Integrated Research, HE and
  Business Centers (Valleys)
• 1. Technology Valley Sauletekis in Vilnius
• Laser and Light technologies Material science
  and Nanoengineering Electronics, etc.
• National Centre of Physical and Technological
  Sciences
• 2. Valley Santara in Vilnius
• Biotechnology, Molecular Medicine and
  Biopharmacy Research of Ecosystems, ICT, etc.
• Joint Centre for Life Sciences Joint Inovative
  Medicine Centre Joint Nature Research Centre
• 3. Integrated science, studies and business
  centre Valley Santaka in Kaunas
• Sustainable Chemistry and Biopharmacy
  Mechatronics Future Energy and Environment
  Engineering ICT
• Joint Centre of Applied Sciences
• 4. Integrated Science, Studies and Business
  Centre Valley Nemunas in Kaunas
• Agrobiotechnology, Bioenergy and Forestry Safe
  and Healthy Food Technologies, etc.
• Joint Centre of Agricultural Sciences
• 5. Integrated Science, Studies and Business
  Centre (Valley) for the Development of the
  Lithuanian Maritime Sector in Klaipeda
• Marine environment and Marine Technologies,
  Environment Protection and Coastal Management,
  Recreational Resources and Tourism Marine
  technologies, etc.

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• 4. Infrastructure
• Feasibility study on the optimization of research
  and HE system infrastructure is carried out
  (valleys programmes)
• Participation in creation of ERI according to
  ESFRI roadmap
• National roadmap for development of research
  infrastructures is initiated (to be prepared in
  the end of 2009)

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• Human resources
• Implementing Wages increasing programme of
  research and higher education staff in 2009-2011
• Programme "Brain return and attraction
• Researchers Carreer Programme under SF support
  scheme

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• Human resources
• Wages increasing programme of research and higher
  education staff in 2009-2011
• In 2007-2008, wages of research and higher
  education institutions staff increased three
  times
• - from 1st July 2007 wages increased by 20
  percent (from state budget LTL 35,6 million)
• - from 1st September 2007 wages of a least
  earning academic staff ( assistants, junior
  research workers, lecturers, research workers)
  additionally increased by 10 percent (from
  Privatization Fund - LTL 5,5 million)
• - from 1st January 2008 wages of lecturers and
  research workers increased by 20 percent (from
  state budget LTL 88,7 million)
• In above-mentioned period, wages of a lowermost
  position academic staff increased on the average
  60 percent, for others on the average 45
  percent.
• By implementing Wages increasing programme of
  research and higher education staff in
  2009-2011, from 1st January 2009 wages of
  academic staff increased by 5,6 percent.
  Subsequently, is foreseen to increase wages by 20
  percent every year (in 2010-2011). However
  subsequent implementation of the programme
  depends on financial opportunities of the state.

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• Human resources
• The national programme "Brain return and
  attraction
• Main goals
• - To attract researchers to Lithuanian HEI and
  research institutions and knowledge, science and
  technology receptive enterprises
• - To encourage researchers from abroad to
  participate in LT Research Area and increase
  their cooperation and collaboration with LT
  research institutions, organizations and
  researchers
• - monitoring researchers mobility and information
  gathering

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• Human resources
• Researcher Carrer Programme under SF support
  scheme
• Budget 572 mln. Lt.
• Measures and eligible activities
• 1. Full- scale grants (subsidies) for scientists
  (subsidies for the internationally known
  Lithuanian scientists subsidies for the
  attraction and reintegration of high level
  scientists)
• 2. Support of the scientists and other
  researchers mobility (postdoctoral internships
  short - term visits of foreign scientists
  encouragement of student research works)
• 3. State aid for the employment of the highly
  qualified workers (State aid for the employment
  of the highly qualified workers in knowledge and
  technology receptive companies)
• 4. Improvement of scientists and other
  researchers qualification and competence
  (Improvement of scientists and other
  researchers qualification and competence
  according to the basic and professional
  capabilities improvement of doctoral studies
  guarantee of access to the databases of
  periodical and other scientific publications
  accumulation, analysis and dissemination on the
  Lithuanian publications)
• 5. Dissemination of knowledge on RD

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Support from the EU SF for RD in Lithuania for
the period 20072013 m.
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• Thank you for your attention