Education and Science, Innovations, Legislation, Lithuania, Technology, USA

The document has been signed by Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, and Reeves Thomas, IBM's global vice president for research and intellectual property licensing. The agreement regarding the largest (as it is hoped) IT project in the history of Lithuania is expected to be signed within the current half year, reports LETA/ELTA.

The future centre will conduct research in the strategic IBM areas – nanotechnology, life sciences, healthcare innovation, and intellectual property for innovative management.

Researchers will study advanced nanotechnologies, including an integrated silicon photonics, new photovoltaic and photonic materials. Lithuanian university researchers working in the field of innovations will cooperate in the centre.

"Joint research centre with a global high-tech giant undoubtedly marks a huge achievement for Lithuania. This means that out of a country applying innovations we are turning into a country creating innovations for the entire world", said Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius.

"It is a concrete step towards our ambition to become a regional innovations centre in 2020", said Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys. According to the Minister, foundation of a joint research centre will keep Lithuania's researchers from leaving the country and provide an opportunity to work in the world-class laboratories.

IBM is among the companies holding the largest number of patents in the world: it ranked fourth in 2009 on the Top Ten list of 2009 patent recipients in the US, with the number of patents several times exceeding its closest high-tech rivals. In 2009 alone, IBM inventors received 4,914 patents for a range of potentially world-changing inventions, such as sending alarms to hearing impaired individuals during fire.

Prime Minister Kubilius and Minister of Economy Kreivys are on a working visit to the US; the major aim is to attract investments to Lithuania’s high-tech sector.