A cooperation agreement on the establishment of a Maritime Defence Competence Centre was signed in Klaipėda this week. VILNIUS TECH signed the agreement with the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Naval Forces, the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park, the Klaipėda Free Economic Zone and Klaipėda University. The partnership aims to bring together expertise from the armed forces, academia and business, to carry out joint research, to develop technologies relevant to maritime defence and security, and to provide opportunities to test prototypes under real-world conditions.
According to Justas Žaglinskis, Head of the Lithuanian Maritime Academy at VILNIUS TECH, the subject of defence and security, and related activities, are of paramount importance today and will remain so in the future: “The signing of the agreement to establish the Maritime Defence Competence Centre is an excellent start, which will set the course for acquiring new competences, developing existing ones and contributing to enhancing national security.”
One key area of cooperation is the development of dual-use technologies. Solutions developed by the academic and business sectors can be applied to both defence and civilian purposes.
“I regard this agreement as an important step in bringing together the expertise of the armed forces, academia and business. Modern maritime defence is inseparable from technology, research and the ability to test new solutions in practice. We hope that this partnership will help to develop and test solutions that strengthen the capabilities of the Naval Forces and the Klaipėda State University of Maritime and Transport.”
“I regard this agreement as an important step towards bringing together the expertise of the armed forces, academia and industry. Modern maritime defence is inseparable from technology, research and the ability to test new solutions in practice. We hope that this partnership will help to develop and test solutions that strengthen the capabilities of the Naval Forces, as well as the security of the Klaipėda State Seaport and the entire region,” said Captain Tadas Jablonskis, Commander of the Naval Forces.
The initiative of the Maritime Defence Competence Centre will enable researchers, business representatives and the military to work together to identify practical needs, develop technological solutions and assess their applicability in the fields of maritime defence and security.
The first joint workshop involving the partners is planned for January 2027, at which representatives from the armed forces, academia and industry will put forward ideas and seek technological solutions relevant to defence and security.
Photo by Gediminas Sass.
