Following the initiative taken by LINPRA, Engineering Industries Association of Lithuania, efforts have been pulled up on 21 June 2006 to establish national technology platform called Ateities gamyba (Manufuture-Lithuania). It is a voluntary   association of business enterprises and scientific institutions set up for the purpose of  development in the future of a definite competitive  EU priority sector, be it industry, transport or service sector, by elaborating, for this purpose, both a long term development vision (by 2015-2020) for the sector concerned and a strategic  research agenda (SRA) as well as by bringing into coordination all the actions needed for implementation of this program  and mobilizing  indispensable resources and efforts.

In the European Union the development of such technology platforms has started 2 years ago and currently, all 30 EU technology platforms are drafting their own SRA and submitting proposals to the European Commission as to the way of finding, through the use of EU joint R&D financing funds and mobilization of the resources available in the business sector, the best solution to secure, in the long run, the economic competitiveness for the European Union under global economy conditions.

Manufuture-Lithuania, Lithuanian national technology platform, is included in ETP Manufuture, the EU umbrella technology platform of analogous designation. Engineering industry  including metal parts, machinery, electric engineering and electronic instruments as well as transport means sectors and also other sectors of manufacturing  industry  using production means and technologies developed by  the engineering industry  as well as the same manufacturing, research and  expert training procedures, methods and infrastructure  is the basic scope of activities undertaken under such platforms.

The agreement on establishment of a novel technology platform has been signed by 32 partners representing progressive industrial enterprises, the largest universities and centers of applied sciences of the country. LINPRA, Engineering Industries Association of Lithuanian, authorized by the partners of the platform to coordinate their joint activities, is among the founders of the platform. Manufuture-Lithuania has set the target during  2006 to draft the first version of the development vision ( by 2015-2020) and strategic research program  for the Lithuanian  engineering industry  sectors as well as to  work out specific priority projects  destined  to promote transfer of R&D  know-how to industry, to enhance manufacturing of high value added products, to strengthen  potential of expert staff., etc.  While following this activity trend, Manufuture-Lithuania will cooperate with other Lithuanian national technology platforms, with analogous technology platforms of other countries, Lithuanian business regulation and support institutions. Establishment of Manufuture-Lithuania, national technology platform, is one of the biggest challenges facing at present representatives of the Lithuanian  industry and  science on their way to make their adequate contribution in resolving  rather complicated task, namely  what to do and how to do in order to strengthen  manufacturing  of competitive  high value added products, to facilitate  creation, on a larger scale, of well-paid jobs, to enhance the growth and establishment in their own country of  skilled, creative and laborious  people, the most prominent wealth of Lithuania. Manufuture-Lithuania is open to all who are eager to support its objectives and are willing to contribute to their successful implementation. Everybody is invited to say their word and join our common efforts!

Vaclovas  Sleinota
President of LINPRA
Engineering Industries Association of Lithuanian

This information was announced in “BNS press centre” (http://sc.bns.lt) on the 23th of June, 2006. Everyone who is interested and want to join the NTP Manufuture-Lithuania, please appeal to the vice-president and director of LINPRA H. Mykolaitis, e-mail: henrikas.mykolaitis@linpra.lt, tel.: (8-5) 239 2816.
 
More information about the  Europe Technological Platform MANUFUTURE you can find here: www.manufuture.org