Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre

VILNIUS TECH students are invited to participate in the SMARCO international project, which is developing innovative short-term training modules aimed at building smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient communities across Europe. The project offers short (up to 4-hour) training modules designed to provide students and early-career professionals with practical skills in smart cities, community resilience, sustainability, procurement, and planning.   Why participate? Free of charge Only 4 hours per module Flexible learning formats: online, hybrid, or in person Self-paced learning Valuable for studies, career development, and upskilling Opportunity to contribute to shaping Europe’s future smart and resilient communities The modules are ideal for VET students (EQF level 5) and university students in engineering, planning, sustainability, public administration, and related fields. The pilot phase starts in March 2026. Interested students are invited to complete the Expression of Interest form. Join the pilot, gain relevant smart-community skills, and contribute to an international initiative shaping the future of Europe’s communities.

Imagine that to try on glasses, all you need to do is look into your phone’s camera. The system recognises your face, determines its scale, “removes” the glasses you are currently wearing, measures all the necessary parameters and instantly recommends frames and lenses that fit you perfectly. This is not a distant future but the direction in which artificial intelligence and 3D technologies are rapidly progressing, transforming our shopping habits. Virtual try-on technology for eyewear, which became popular during the pandemic, is now an integral part of modern optical retail. Global brands such as Mister Spex already use it, and its developers – for example, Fittingbox – claim that virtual try-ons can triple sales. Still, even if you find frames you like in an online shop, one question often remains: will the size actually fit? “The accuracy of virtual frame fitting completely depends on correct scale estimation,” explains Dr Artūras Serackis, a researcher involved in the SustAInLivWork project that is establishing the Artificial Intelligence Competence Centre, and a professor at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. “For the frames to appear precisely positioned on the face in a virtual environment, the system must know not only the scale of the glasses but also the scale of the person’s face in the image. This is one of the most complex technological challenges.” According to him, the same issue arises when trying to accurately measure parameters such as pupillary distance from a photo. In such cases, a reference object with known dimensions is required. “For instance, Fittingbox uses standard-sized bank cards. The user briefly places a card next to their face, and the system determines the scale based on it. But is this practical today, when most payments are made via smartphone and many people do not carry physical cards anymore?” notes the researcher. Trying on Glasses Without Removing Your Own Dr Serackis and his colleagues are currently focusing on advanced facial-analysis technologies capable of automatically assessing image quality, facial orientation and measurement accuracy. “For example, it is crucial that the face in the photo is parallel to the camera axis – otherwise measurement errors can increase significantly,” he stresses. AI models identify key facial points and analyse their positions to determine the exact head orientation. Although many AI models can recognise up to 468 facial landmarks, the number alone does not guarantee accurate measurements. High-precision results require highly reliable methods, including assessment of lighting direction, type and intensity, as well as other factors that influence image quality. “Consider a situation where someone wants to try on glasses while already wearing a pair – which likely happens in over 98 percent of cases. It is far more convenient to use the service without taking off your own glasses. In such cases, we need another class of AI models that can detect glasses and ‘remove’ them from the image,” explains Dr Serackis. Generative AI can remove glasses from a photo, but this introduces the risk of distortions, reducing measurement accuracy. This challenge has sparked a new research direction, requiring advanced computing infrastructure and specialised AI training servers. The Biggest Challenge: Cost of Preparing 3D Models Once the system accurately estimates scale, extracts the necessary facial parameters and “removes” existing glasses, the next step is virtual try-on of different frames – including size adjustment. This requires a 3D model of each frame design. “Eyewear manufacturers do not publish their 3D models, so obtaining them directly is impossible. To have a 3D model, we must create it ourselves: either by manually modelling it in specialised software, which is time-consuming and requires skilled specialists, or by physically scanning the frame and post-processing the model. The third option is to use AI models capable of generating 3D frame models automatically based on product images from online shops,” he says. The main challenge here is the cost of producing 3D models. Frame collections are updated at least twice a year, and hundreds of new designs appear annually. If each model had to be created manually, virtual try-on services would become financially impractical or offer only a limited selection. “At first glance, there seem to be plenty of 3D scanning solutions available, but in practice they have significant limitations. High-resolution scanners designed for jewellery capture too small an area – glasses simply don’t fit. Meanwhile, handheld scanners designed for larger objects struggle to reproduce thin frame elements accurately,” explains the SustAInLivWork researcher. Towards a Next-Generation Measurement System According to Dr Serackis, the arrival of NVIDIA technologies such as NeRF and later advanced alternatives like One-2-3-45++ has allowed AI to predict the full shape of an object from a single image and generate 3D models. However, for eyewear, such models are not yet specialised enough – they often produce asymmetries or distorted proportions. Moreover, most are not designed to work with multiple images, though this capability is essential in this field. “That’s why we are developing alternative, original methods: step by step we analyse the classical 3D modelling process and look for ways to automate each stage using AI. Although we have not yet reached a breakthrough, we are working with leading AI and computer-vision experts in Lithuania – within the SustAInLivWork centre and partner institutions at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. With powerful computing resources for AI training, we are confident that in the coming years we will develop a highly advanced solution for working with eyewear frames,” he says. SustAInLivWork is the first competence centre of its kind in Lithuania, systematically consolidating knowledge and skills in AI. It brings together four leading Lithuanian universities – Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University – in partnership with Tampere University (Finland) and Hamburg University of Technology (Germany). It is a long-term, cross-sectoral platform connecting science, business, the public sector, and society. The SustAInLivWork project is funded by the Horizon Europe programme (No. 101059903) and by the European Union funds for 2021–2027 (Project No. 10-042-P-0001).  

Registration opens for sports innovation hackathon “SportHack 2025” with the motto “Ideas in Motion!,” the sports innovation hackathon “SportHack 2025” will take place from November 11 to 15.    The event will be held in a hybrid format, with participants working both remotely and on-site, and the final day will take place in the capital city of Latvia at Riga Stradiņš University (RSU).  The goal of the hackathon is to foster the creation of new, technology-based solutions in the sports industry, with the best ideas competing for a prize fund of 5,000 euros. The event will be conducted in English. During the hackathon, participants are invited to find solutions in four main tracks: artificial intelligence in sports, enhancing the fan experience, sustainable sports, and open innovation, with challenges defined by partners such as “Decathlon”, the Latvian Olympic Committee, the “Rimi Riga Marathon” and Riga Stradiņš University. “In 2020, during the pandemic, when we organized the first sports innovation hackathon, SportHack 2020, the event's motto was ‘Let’s beat the crisis together.’ This year, after a five-year break, we are back with fresh energy, as technology is transforming every aspect of life. We invite everyone passionate about sports to create innovative solutions for an industry that engages all of society. Sports is a field with immense technological potential, and we want to unlock it,” says Kārlis Skuja, Head of the open innovation community "WindHackers", that is organizing “SportHack 2025”.  The hackathon welcomes new idea authors, teams, and early-stage startups. To encourage the development of successful solutions, participants with diverse skills—including business development, marketing, design, programming, and other fields—are especially encouraged to apply. “The SportHack 2025 hackathon is a crucial launchpad for innovation, bringing together participants from various industries and even countries to co-create ideas and solutions that are urgently needed for the industry's development. It is particularly valuable that the hackathon focuses on a wide range of topics—from the application of artificial intelligence to enriching the fan experience and open innovation. I am confident that the hackathon will result in sustainable solutions that will change not only the daily lives of sports professionals but also how each of us experiences sports every day,” says Diāna Laipniece, Director of the RSU Latvian Academy of Sport Education.   Before the hackathon, on October 22 and 29, online informative events will be held to help better understand how startups are already changing the sports industry using technological solutions. Latvian sports technology startups—Hackmotion, Blue Shock Race, and Tournated—will share their success stories. Meanwhile, representatives from RSU, Tilde, and the Latvian Olympic Committee will discuss current topics and trends in sports education, research, and technology. The goal of these events is to educate and inspire new ideas, encouraging those who have not yet decided to participate to join the hackathon.   Meanwhile, on November 13 and 14, the laboratories of RSU, RTU, and the University of Latvia will open their doors to hackathon participants, offering on-site insights into prototyping opportunities, meetings with experts, and feedback on their ideas and solutions. The event is supported by a wide range of partners and supporters: “Decathlon,” Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK), Riga Stradiņš University (RSU), “HackMotion,” “Workland,” “Rimi Riga Marathon,” the City of Riga, “Tele2,” “Lovable,” “Tilde,” “Emergn,” “HackTribe,” “Unilab,” University of Latvia (LU), Riga Technical University (RTU), Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), Tallinn University of Technology (TALTECH), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH), TV3 Group, the City of Liepāja, “Tournated,” Latvian Sports Federation Council (LSFP), “SportTech Latvia”, “PwC Legal”  and “Blue Shock Race”. The event is organized by the open innovation community “WindHackers,” which aims to promote interdisciplinary cooperation and foster the development of innovative, technology-based business ideas. For more information and to register for the event, please visit www.sporthack.co. Registration is open until November 6. Contact Information:  Kārlis Skuja Head of “WindHackers” Tālr.: + 371 29 345 995  E-pasts: sporthack@windhackers.com SportHack Media kit (Logo, Images)

The Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) invites students from various disciplines and levels to participate in the educational programme Loaded Silence. Now in its fifth year, the programme combines the disciplines of political science and art. As usual, it will consist of both public and private meetings, discussions, and workshops. This year’s programme focuses on the relationship culture and social sciences have with war and militarisation. The exhibition Bells and Cannons, which opens at the Contemporary Art Centre on 16 October, will serve as a starting point for dialogue. Through artworks, discussions and texts, the exhibition aims to explore how militarisation affects contemporary life, what circumstances have led to the current situation, and what we can expect in the future. The programme will not seek definitive answers. Instead, participants are invited to engage in uncomfortable reflections on current tensions and what it means to live in loaded silence. We will consider how these changes affect not only the geopolitical and security situation but also the cultural field in a broader sense. Rather than a straightforward occurrence, militarisation will be examined as a process that has direct ties to both the role of the artist and power structures. How are we to talk about these issues when they are no longer just theoretical, and the current security situation is forcing us to face them head-on? Participants are welcome to visit exhibitions and join discussions, readings, video and film screenings, and meetings with representatives from the fields of art and politics. The participants will be working together with the programme’s curators and mentors Jogilė Ulinskaitė (VU TSPMI) and Vytenis Burokas (VAA). PROGRAMME DURATION: October 2025 – January 2026 MEETING SCHEDULE: 17/10 12:30 pm – first meeting at the CAC 29/10 12:30 pm 12/11 12:30 pm 26/11 12:30 pm 10/12 12:30 pm 07/01/2026 – final meeting (6 meetings/seminars, each lasting 1.5–2 hours. The schedule may be adjusted to suit the participant group.) GROUP: 20 participants LANGUAGE: If necessary, the sessions may be conducted in English Participation is free of charge. We invite you to register by 14 October 2025, by sending a motivational letter (up to 1,500 characters) at edukacija@cac.lt with the subject line ‘PROGRAMME FOR STUDENTS _ Name Surname’. Selected participants will be notified by 15 October. We trust that those selected will make every effort to attend the sessions. PROGRAMME CREATORS AND MENTORS JOGILĖ ULINSKAITĖ is an Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences, Vilnius University (VU TSPMI). Her research is currently focused on the discourse of populist parties and the memory of post-communist transformation. VYTENIS BUROKAS is an artist, curator, and lecturer. Burokas completed his Master’s studies n Contemporary Sculpture and Art Education at the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA). He has worked as an education and exhibition curator at the LNMA National Gallery of Art and currently teaches in the Sculpture Department of the VAA. PROJECT CURATOR MARGARITA ŽIGUTYTĖ is the curator of the CAC education programme. Her current interests lie in radical rest.