Science Can Be in Step with Business
Most European countries have retained strong traditions with regard to the popularization of science and have paid a great deal of attention and money resources to the propagation of achievements. Even Lithuanian academicians and practicians do not question the necessity of science and business cooperation, however, there is still a vast gulf between these two areas: scientific research does not correspond to existing business needs and vice versa, entrepreneurs are unaware of possibilities provided by scientific potential. What kind of changes should be introduced?
According to Egidijus Kazanavicius, Professor of the Department of Computer Science at Kaunas University of Technology, the major problem Lithuania deals with is that universities are ignorant of business processes and are unable to apply their knowledge to business needs. As a rule, the collaboration between business and education institutions results in signed protocols and single collective projects without any development of systematic, sequential and long-term relations.
E.Kazanavicius claims that "Since high technologies develop at rapid pace throughout the entire world and their creation can be very expensive, economically developed Western countries began to establish their own scientific research institutes. Unfortunately, Lithuania does not have such institutes. It is obvious that efforts made by one of the interested parties will be worthless. It is possible to improve the current situation by preparing special projects that would enhance the partnership among competent scientists/scholars, researchers and business representatives, help to commercialize research results and popularize knowledge transfer to business".
In seeking to achieve these objectives, Kaunas Regional Innovation Center (KRIC) implements the following REMARK project funded by the European Union: "From Market to Research: Support for Knowledge Based Business".
Birute Velykiene, director of KRIC, pointed out that "EU countries give priority, as part of their policy trend, to knowledge based business, which contributes to the transformation of scientific research results into marketable products or services. This kind of business contributes to competition enhancement of each economy and the Lisbon strategy regards it as the basic tool for goal achievement. Unfortunately, in Lithuania due to the absence of skills and knowledge, this type of business is still in progress, which prevents researchers from starting a business. The purpose of these projects is providing support to potential owners of knowledge based business, as well as researchers, students with technological knowledge and graduates."
Kaunas University of Technology, which implements projects focused on science and business unification in collaboration with KRIC, can already boast of some stories of successful cooperation with companies.
"In most companies there are no employees who would be able to perform necessary sophisticated research within a short period of time, i.e. within six months. It is impossible to achieve this without knowledge, experience and skills. Therefore, entrepreneurs approach us and request our help. Collaboration yields mutual benefits: we have more knowledge about the market, can find out what kind of things are necessary for business and company representatives involved in our research, become competent experts and are able to put our general ideas into practice," E.Kazanavicius is happy to reveal.
Kaunas University of Technology achieved successful implementation of collective projects with a number several companies. For instance, it rendered assistance to telecommunication company TEO in designing systems for digital television GALA and creating brand new TV services and it has been designing intelligent house equipment for already three years for a corporate group of information and communication technologies Elsis.
"As the cost of energy resources continues to rise, the need for contemporary technologies continues to increase and the tendency for not only more comfortable but less expensive life continues to emerge, business cannot dispense with innovative solutions. Our university does not restrict itself solely to the Lithuanian market: we have been engaged in major projects with Kazakhstan and Russia. Business is moving forward at rapid pace and we are following in its footsteps," E.Kazanavicius tells us.