Lithuanian scientists are offering solutions to ensure a long-term competitiveness of the country
Seven Lithuanian universities and the Institute for Energy of Lithuania have started a wide range research for economy „Challenges of Lithuania’s long-term competitiveness”. Since September Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Mykolas Romeris University and scientists of Institute for Energy of Military Academy of Lithuania have started a research program based on six goals. The research is scheduled for the end in late 2014.
Rytis Krušinskas, a professor in the Faculty of Economics and Management of Kaunas University of Technology, said that the goals stated in the research program are compatible with the issues of Lithuania’s economy that can be solved by implementing the efforts of the scientists of economics.
The professor considers that the implemented program draws a certain attention of the Lithuanian Government to the scientists of economics, who have united in order to reach a common goal.
The target of the research – prospects of the country
During the program, which is financed by the Lithuanian Government, scientists are going to determine the threat of new growing wold‘s economic centres to the production of Lithuania, which is based on the traditional technologies. They are also going to examine the distribution of the high‑tech and innovation in the economy and its interaction with the business environment. Scientists are going to analyse the allocation of the budgetary resources and its use in the public sector of the economy and give recommendations to the measures of promotion, in order to make structural changes of the human capital and working resources of the economy of the country, having in mind the effect of migration and the world‘s economic tendencies.
The professor of the faculty of Economics and Management said that more than a hundred scientists are going to use the most advanced testing methods, analyse the industry processes, business, social wealth creation and financial markets. After the program is implemented, the developed means and recommendations would benefit while forming the guidelines for the future strategic development.
The head of the project said that the test results should be useful while assessing the problematic areas of Lithuania’s economy, should disclose the connections of economic phenomena that were not so thoroughly researched and should increase the long-term competitiveness of Lithuania. The results of the research could be used to prepare measures of the government policy and to assess its effectiveness based on strategic priorities of country‘s development. The results could also be used as means of economic analysis and strategy programming, as well as, accepting and justifying the decisions of national level.
Economic decisions are fragmental
The scientist claims that nowadays governmental institutions are making economic decisions that lack consistency and reasonableness.
The head of the program R. Krušinskas emphasized that economic decisions tend to be made without paying any attention to some particular economic nuances, therefore, only fragmental calculations are carried out, and there is not enough integrated approach based on economic calculations. For example, there are many discussions concerning the promotion of technological innovations, the support of universities while implementing innovative technologies and the initiation of collaboration between science and business to create and apply these technologies. Even though, such processes have been taking place for several years, the amount of GDP gained from the production of high-tech does not benefit Lithuania greatly.
The professor is convinced that it is necessary to analyse, whether all EU and government financed measures of support are effective in dealing with the adoption of innovative technologies and issues in other areas. The results gained need to be assessed, and the issues need to be solved using the proposed solutions.
The head of the project also claimed that low and medium technological level is dominant in the traditional industry of Lithuania, which creates the greatest part of Lithuania‘s production. It is obvious, that in order to be competitive in a worldwide scale it is necessary to be well advanced in the creation or application of innovative technologies. If critical factors of the current situation would be highlighted and clear goals and priorities would be defined, the progress would happen faster not only in the creation and application of technologies but also in other areas. Hopefully, the program „Challenges of long-term competitiveness of Lithuania” will help in the progress of the country‘s economy.
