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European Commission Delegation Visits VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Transport Engineering

January 30, 2026

On the 28th of January, representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania visited VILNIUS TECH Plytinė‘s Campus and the Faculty of Transport Engineering. The purpose of the visit was to gain first-hand insight into the results of European Union investments, their added value for research, studies and innovation, and to assess their impact on the development of science and technology in Lithuania.

The delegation included representatives from the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Research and Innovation, Structural Reform Support and Investments, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Among them was Eugenija Pučiūtė, European Commission Representative in Lithuania from the “European Semester and Country Analysis” Unit.

During the visit, guests were introduced to the modern research and study infrastructure of the Faculty of Transport Engineering, its laboratories and the units of the Transport Engineering and Logistics Laboratory. EC representatives were presented with international and national research and applied research projects implemented at the Faculty and funded under the “Horizon Europe”, “Horizon 2020”, “Shift2Rail”, Research Council of Lithuania, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan “New Generation Lithuania” programmes.

Among the showcased projects were highly regarded studies focusing on advanced transport systems, traffic management, comfort and safety solutions, electromobility, the circular economy, and the integration of green hydrogen in the transport sector. These projects not only strengthen the Faculty’s international competitiveness but also create direct benefits for industry and society.

The visit took place in the new buildings of the Faculties of Mechanics, Electronics and Transport Engineering on Plytinė‘s campus. Guests were introduced to one of the largest infrastructure projects at VILNIUS TECH – the relocation of three faculties to a modern student campus complex. The project, first planned back in 2007, was implemented using funding from European Union Structural Funds, as well as state and university resources. Two new buildings were constructed – the Laboratory Building and the Teaching Building – with a total investment value of nearly EUR 37 million, of which EUR 15.6 million was financed by EU funds.

These investments made it possible to establish a top-level research and study base, which is already demonstrating tangible results: a significant increase in contract research volumes with industry, more than 50 newly launched projects – including prestigious Horizon programme research initiatives – and strengthened scientific capacity in the fields of sustainable transport, mechatronics and advanced technologies. By 2025, VILNIUS TECH researchers have published more than 140 high-level scientific publications.

“The visit of European Commission representatives to the Faculty of Transport Engineering is a significant recognition of VILNIUS TECH’s achievements and a confirmation that targeted use of EU investments enables the university to successfully strengthen its position as a leading technology university and contribute to building a sustainable future for Lithuania,” says Prof. Dr. Olegas Prentkovskis, Dean of the Faculty of Transport Engineering.

International and national projects implemented at the Faculty of Transport Engineering in the new Plytinė Campus:

  • 2025–2028 (Horizon Europe): Motion Control Systems of Multi-Actuated Ground Vehicles (MOCO) (MSCA SE)
  • 2025–2026 (Horizon Europe): Circular Design and Manufacturing Techniques for Next-Generation Highly-Efficient Integrated Axial Flux Motor Drives for Electric Vehicles-Hop-On (CLIMAFLUX)
  • 2024–2027 (Horizon Europe): PhDs EU-Rail – Extending the rail network of PhDs in Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking
  • 2023–2027 (Horizon Europe): Building a Community of Railway Scientific Researchers and Academia for ERJU and Enabling a Network of PhDs (Academia Teaming with Industry) (Academics4Rail)
  • 2024–2026 (Economic Revitalization and Resilience Enhancement Plan “New Generation Lithuania”): Mission-Driven Implementation of Science and Innovation Programmes (No 02-002-P-0001). Title of R&D project “Implementation of Green Hydrogen in the Transport Sector”
  • 2023–2026 (Research Council of Lithuania): Novel Preview and Control Allocation Algorithms for Vehicle-Integrated Chassis Control Targeting Ride Comfort and Handling Improvement (conTROLL)
  • 2024–2025 (Ministry of Transport and Communications): Development of a Digital-Technological Solution Based on 5G Communication for Personalized Real-Time Driver Training
  • 2021–2023 (2014-2020 Operational Programme for the European Union Funds Investments in Lithuania) Innovative Transport: Development of a Three-Wheel Tilting Vehicle

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