Lithuania is highlighting the development of its rapidly expanding high-technology economy, with a new exhibition in Vilnius tracing how decades of scientific research have helped create internationally significant businesses in fields ranging from biotechnology and lasers to space technology and robotics.
Trajectory of the Future: The History of High Technology in Lithuania, at the House of Histories within the National Museum of Lithuania, brings five areas of technological development together for the first time: lasers, biotechnology, information technology, space and robotics.
Running until June 6, 2027, the exhibition explores not only Lithuania’s scientific achievements but also how collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs and investors has helped transform discoveries made in laboratories into commercially valuable technologies used around the world.
That relationship between science and business has become increasingly important to Lithuania’s economy, particularly in the capital Vilnius, where much of the country’s technology sector is concentrated.
From Lithuanian Laboratories to Global Markets
Some of Lithuania’s technological achievements have found their way into products and industries used by millions – and in some cases billions – of people.
The country’s laser industry is one example.
Lithuanian-developed femtosecond laser technology is used for highly precise industrial processes, including cutting glass for smartphone displays and camera covers without damaging surrounding materials.
Light Conversion is among the Lithuanian businesses operating in this specialist field, while the country’s laser and photonics sector now includes more than 60 companies employing over 2,000 people.
According to figures highlighted alongside the exhibition, as much as 95% of the sector’s output is exported internationally.
Lithuania has also made an important contribution to biotechnology.
Professor Virginijus Šikšnys of Vilnius University was one of the scientists whose research helped establish the foundations of CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology.
Often described as molecular “gene scissors”, CRISPR technologies have subsequently become important research and medical tools, with applications being developed and used for areas including inherited blood disorders and cancer.
A Technology Ecosystem Built Around Commercialising Science
The new exhibition looks at the people behind Lithuania’s development as a technology economy, including physicists, engineers, biochemists, programmers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
It also documents the sometimes unconventional beginnings of major projects.
Visitors can discover how early Lithuanian lasers were cooled using a washing-machine pump and how plans for Lithuania’s first satellite were reportedly drawn on a napkin in a NASA cafeteria.
But behind those stories is a wider economic theme: the ability to move ideas from academic research into commercial development.
Marius Stasiukaitis, Head of Business at Go Vilnius, said:
“Vilnius has a remarkable ability to turn scientific ideas into real-world innovation. What began decades ago in university laboratories and research institutes has grown into a technology ecosystem spanning lasers, life sciences, fintech, AI, space and robotics. What makes the city particularly exciting is the proximity between researchers, startups, established companies and talent – ideas can move quickly from the lab to the market.
“This exhibition offers a fascinating look at where that journey began, while the city’s growing technology community is already shaping what comes next.”
Life Sciences Sector Expands
Life sciences have become another significant area of development for Lithuania, with the sector reported to be growing by as much as 25% annually.
Vilnius has emerged as a particular centre for biotechnology and medical technology, supported by a network of companies, researchers and specialist facilities.
Figures provided by Go Vilnius point to more than 3,000 companies and over 24,600 researchers working across medical technologies and related fields.
One of the capital’s major developments is Bio City, which is being established as a biotechnology hub bringing scientific research and commercial development together.
The recently opened Bio City III cell therapy and personalised medicine centre is described as the first facility of its kind in the Baltic region.
Researchers there are expected to work on next-generation cell therapies, personalised treatments, vaccines, regenerative medicine products and other advanced healthcare technologies.
Lasers, AI, Fintech and Space
Lithuania’s technology ambitions extend considerably beyond biotechnology.
Vilnius has developed business clusters spanning fintech, artificial intelligence, photonics, robotics and space technologies, alongside its established information technology sector.
The country’s laser industry in particular provides an example of how a relatively small economy can establish an international position in a highly specialised technology market.
The exhibition also examines the relationship between Lithuania’s scientific and business communities, including the role of startups in taking research out of universities and institutes and turning it into commercially viable products.
This interaction has become an important part of Vilnius’s proposition as it seeks to attract technology companies, international investment and highly skilled workers.
Looking Back to Understand Lithuania’s Technology Future
Trajectory of the Future runs from September 9, 2026, until June 6, 2027, and uses Lithuania’s technological history to illustrate how its modern innovation economy developed.
For international businesses and investors, however, the story extends beyond the exhibits themselves.
From globally exported laser technologies and gene-editing research to new investments in cell therapies, AI, robotics and space technology, Lithuania is seeking to turn its scientific expertise into an increasingly significant part of its economic identity.
The exhibition provides a retrospective on how that process began – while the expanding technology ecosystem surrounding Vilnius demonstrates how the country intends to continue it.