Lithuania’s life sciences sector is preparing to showcase its rapid rise on the global stage as the Life Sciences Baltics conference returns to Vilnius from Wednesday to Friday (September 17–18).

The country has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing biotech hubs, expanding at around 30% annually and aiming to contribute 5% of GDP by 2030. More than 90% of its output is exported to over 100 markets, including the US, Germany and the Netherlands.

Government incentives and landmark private investments are fuelling the sector’s acceleration. Among the most significant is Bio City, a €7 billion decade-long initiative by Northway Group. Opened in late 2024, the site’s gene therapy centre is the first of its kind in the Baltics. Plans include virology centres, stem cell facilities and 3D bioprinting labs, positioning Vilnius to compete with established hubs in Scandinavia.

Other projects include Pentasweet’s €44 million protein factory in Vilnius – the first in Europe – which will supply high-intensity sweeteners for the global food and biotech industries.

Lithuania is also emerging as a stronghold in AI, single-cell analysis and gene editing. Recent fundraising rounds highlight investor appetite:

• Atrandi Biosciences raised $25 million in Series A funding in February to advance its single-cell multiomics platform

• VUGENE secured €1 million in May for multi-omics data analysis software

• Biomatter closed a €6.5 million seed round in 2024 for AI-driven protein design

• Ligence raised €3 million for an AI echocardiography solution to automate heart ultrasound analysis

The sector also spans medical devices, CRO expansion, and even biotech approaches to medicinal mushrooms, with Psylink, Biohifas and Mishkay Biotech developing fungi-derived compounds for health applications.

Life Sciences Baltics 2025, organised by Innovation Agency Lithuania under the patronage of President Gitanas Nausėda, will bring together global leaders, investors and researchers. The event aims to highlight how Lithuania is combining world-class science with pro-innovation policy to cement its role in European biotech.