• Contacts
• Members
• About us
• Home

News

Innovations – not only in robots but also in beverages

October 24th, 2013

What’s your first thought when you hear the word “innovations”? You are most likely to remember the new smartphone in your pocket or a widescreen TV in your living room. Those who are more interested in the affairs of science will tell you that innovations are being created not only in the famous Silicon Valley in the USA but also in Lithuania. Press often announces the message that a new injection of support is allotted from the European Union funds to the companies producing biotechnologies or lasers.

Undoubtedly, such technologies stimulate advancement forward and generate high added value; however, you cannot snack on the new iPhone when you are hungry and you cannot quench your thirst with liquid crystals. We do not even think for a moment that innovations are a must and that they surround us not only in the shape of electronic devices. A great number of technologists of the food and beverages industry toil in order to create a new tastier yoghurt or calorie-free lemonade. They perform tests, prepare scientific research and, together with producers, look for ways to applying inventions for the development of high-quality products.

“Lithuanian dairy farmers export products for a billion Litas per year, butchers and producers of beverages – for hundreds of millions Litas; however, they are often forgotten. There was a lot of talk about investments in high technologies during recent years, while the fields, which form the foundation of the economy of the country today, had to play a secondary role. After all, the visions of a smart future are always a better promotion than today’s reality,” Romas Apulskis, the President of ABBI cluster which unites the beverage industry of the Baltic States, maintained.

According to our interlocutor, innovations in production technologies, closer mutual cooperation and cooperation of business and science as well as consultations of competent foreign experts are needed in order for the Lithuanian producers of food and beverages to export more.

“The prices of Lithuanian products hardly ever are able to compete with those of the Polish or, even more so, with the Chinese ones. It is not really possible for us to develop huge production scopes; therefore, we must offer exceptional products in order to make foreign markets interested. Usually, traditional industry does not create new miracles; the objective of the innovations implemented here is evolution, not revolution,” the President of ABBI cluster emphasized.

One of the producers of beverages who are implementing innovations successfully is “Stumbras” based in Kaunas. In cooperation with food and beverages technologists employed in the research institutes of the country, the specialists of this factory have created vodkas with extras: rye ears and grain as well as hypericum. Unique herb-flavoured vodka was introduced a few months ago. Innovative products, which require long and thorough research and significant investments, that have been created were soon recognized in the neighbouring countries. Export to Poland by Lithuanian vodka brewers increased by even 60 percent this year.

“Informal communication and trust that developed between the members of ABBI cluster enables solving business issues easier and provide the conditions for representing our interests abroad in a united manner. Businessmen view each other as competitors with distrust in the small market until they get to know each other and that they see that cooperation is more useful than competition,” R. Apulskis assured. 

According to our interlocutor, the scientists of Kaunas University of Technology, who have modern analytical laboratories and a department of trial production, contribute to the development of more progressive business as well. The store of knowledge and research of the University are especially important nowadays when most people tend to choose as reliable, harmless and organic products as possible.