The three Baltic states are joining forces in the biotechnology sector to create a thriving ecosystem. The groundwork has already been laid: Baltic Biotech Action Plan has been prepared and the establishment of the Baltic Biotech Hub will facilitate the implementation of its provisions.
As one of the main drivers of today’s technological breakthroughs, the biotechnology sector is tightly linked to the economic prosperity of the three Baltic countries. It is a crucial and constantly growing part of the economy, unlocking wide societal benefits.
Since regaining independence in 1990, the Baltic states have made significant economic progress, with biotechnology being a priority for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia’s economies as well as being among the national smart specialisation priorities. However, a lack of coordinated, integrated initiatives and collaboration between these countries signals the need for a comprehensive regional biotechnology ecosystem with the capacity to reach ‘critical mass’ that is unavailable locally.
The Baltic Biotech Action Plan, a strategic initiative of the ‘BioConnect’ project, aims to facilitate this by creating an integrated and robust biotechnology ecosystem in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia based on Nordic experience. The initiative identifies the key challenges of such an ecosystem and proposes effective solutions to overcome them. This requires the right mix of talent, infrastructure, funding, and political support.
All three states will contribute to the Baltic Biotech Action Plan, which will bring them undeniable benefits by enabling them to create a unified biotechnology ecosystem based on innovation, economic growth and societal prosperity throughout the region. These changes will be implemented by the Baltic Biotech Hub. It will be established by the ‘BioConnect’ consortium, which comprises representatives from academia, industry, and civil society.
According to Jekaterina Kalinienė, head of Innovation Agency Lithuania Biotech Lab, the Baltic countries have already proven that they can grow rapidly and establish themselves in the field of life sciences when acting separately, but by working together, they can become even more competitive on a global scale.
“The Baltic Biotechnology Action Plan and the future Baltic Biotech Hub are excellent tools that will bring together talent, infrastructure, funding, and a potentially regulatory environment. For Lithuania, as for its neighbours, it is important not only to strengthen the national ecosystem, but also to create an integrated regional biotechnology ecosystem that would open up new opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and social welfare,” notes J. Kalinienė.
Tomas Andrejauskas, President of LithuaniaBIO, points out that Lithuania is celebrating the 50th anniversary of industrial biotechnology this year: “We have deep traditions, which, combined with the academic and business expertise of Latvia and Estonia in the field of biotechnology, can create a strong Baltic cluster that, in cooperation with partners in the Nordic countries, could successfully compete in the global market and nurture talent.”
“Latvia has a strong scientific tradition in medicinal chemistry, drug development, and biomaterials – but limited scale and resources when it comes to commercialization, scaleup, and market access. By aligning with Estonia and Lithuania, the country’s ecosystem can pool talent, attract more international investment, and build the kind of critical mass that makes the Baltics a formidable player on the European and global life science arenas,” says Andrii Shekhirev from an independent non-profit Latvian organization “Biocatalyst Foundation”.
Reet Reinart-Okugbeni, PhD, R&D expert from “Enterprise Estonia” emphasizes that Estonia sees immense value in working closely with Latvia and Lithuania in biotechnology, because our challenges are similar and ambitions complement each other: “By joining forces, we can create a strong regional identity and support our innovators more effectively. The Baltic Biotech Action Plan and the Baltic Biotech Hub will give us the structure we need to pool resources, share expertise, and ensure that Baltic biotech companies are more visible and competitive on the European stage.”
The Baltic states will soon have the opportunity to discuss future cooperation and implementation of Baltic Biotech Action Plan at the annual conference “Life Sciences Baltics” in Vilnius on 17-18 September, in the Business Forum.
