'Russia's aggression against Ukraine has clearly shown that the national defence industry must be prepared to respond quickly to complex situations. Vytis will provide our companies and scientists with the modern infrastructure they need to develop and test innovations and quickly implement them," said Minister L. Savickas.
Located in Kaunas, the centre will become a strategic space where business representatives, scientific institutions and government agencies can pursue their interests. Defence and security technologies and products, as well as dual-use technologies and products, will be developed, tested and certified here.
The Vytis consortium consists of the Kaunas Science and Technology Park (Tech-Park Kaunas), the project initiator and coordinator; the Innovation Agency; the Inland Waterways Directorate; Vytautas Magnus University; the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union; and the Lithuanian Energy Institute. These organisations, together with other representatives of the defence and security innovation sector in Lithuania, will combine their experience and resources to implement and expand a modern infrastructure for this type of innovation.
'It is important for start-ups, technology developers and companies seeking and creating technological solutions to have the infrastructure to help them realise their potential and expertise. We are establishing ourselves as a hub for defence and dual-use technology innovation in central Lithuania, ensuring accessibility across the entire country and our Baltic Sea partners. This infrastructure will enable the development of innovations that address the country's and NATO's defence needs," says Paulius Nezabitauskas, director of Tech-Park Kaunas.
The centre's activities will focus on large, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as start-ups, to ensure that each business group receives services and infrastructure tailored to their needs. Vytis will specialise in designing and developing drone systems for air and water operations, autonomous threat detection technologies, small reconnaissance satellites, and military communications solutions. The centre will also focus on mobile energy storage devices and backup power systems for defence applications.
Priority areas will be coordinated with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Ministry of National Defence and other organisations responsible for defence and security in Lithuania. Laboratories, engineering workshops and workplaces will be set up here, and opportunities for testing technologies will be provided in the air, on water and on land. The centre will also provide certification services for security and defence products.
Approximately €20 million is planned for investment in developing the Vytis centre's infrastructure, equipment, and innovation support services. Additionally, EIMIN, together with its partners, is developing a broader initiative called Vytis: a package totalling over €300 million in grants, loans and capital investments to bolster defence and security innovation. This initiative covers the entire innovation cycle, from idea to export, and builds on Lithuania's smart specialisation advantages in the fields of photonics and lasers, artificial intelligence, cyber security, autonomous systems, advanced materials, and energy solutions.
Companies can already take advantage of defence innovation vouchers, the Miltech Sandbox network and its testing infrastructure, Milinvest funds and various loan programmes. International cooperation is also encouraged through missions, forums, exhibitions and the NATO DIANA accelerator.
From 2026, new measures will be introduced: more than €34 million will be allocated to developing companies' capacity, and a further €6 million to innovation partnerships, enabling prototypes to be developed into mature technological solutions.
The planned Vytis centre in Kaunas will become a fully-fledged experimentation, prototyping and testing hub for start-ups, SMEs and large companies. The project will launch in Q2 2026, with the centre set to open in 2028.
