Health Technology Cluster iVita, developed by the Lithuanian Innovation Centre, has no shortage of progressive and advanced members. Companies are not only successfully implementing digitalisation solutions but also acknowledge that belonging to the cluster and receiving support from Lithuanian Innovation Centre experts and consultants provides additional motivation to embrace change and increase operational efficiency and competitiveness.
Instead of competing, companies inspire one another
As digitalisation becomes an essential condition for competitiveness and operational efficiency, more companies are recognizing its importance and necessity. Instead of tackling digitalisation challenges individually, companies are looking for support, guidance, and inspiration within clusters.
In clusters, companies receive not only information about the benefits of digitalisation but also practical advice on why, what, and how to digitalise, where to obtain financial support, and how to order digitalisation or technological audits.
According to Lithuanian Innovation Centre consultant Edvinas Nagulevičius, companies belonging to the cluster come from different fields, so instead of competing with one another, they jointly address issues related to business development and efficiency. This enables them to offer the best services or products within the same segment, while remaining diverse in their activities.
Health Technology Cluster iVita offers exactly this type of support, experience sharing, and knowledge exchange to its members. The cluster brings together advanced companies developing innovative products and services in the fields of health and wellness, where digitalisation is a key condition for efficiency and competitiveness.
Towards competitiveness and efficiency
For example, Ekofrisa used the opportunity offered through the cluster and ordered a digital audit service from the Lithuanian Innovation Centre. After the audit, individual consultations, and recommendations on financial support for digitalisation activities, the company automated its entire buckwheat production line. As a result, production became more efficient, faster, and larger in scale. Human error was also reduced, while energy consumption and environmental impact decreased.
Ortopedijos technika noticed that, as the number of orders increased, it became more difficult to control production flows, human errors increased, and production efficiency declined. After receiving information about digitalisation and available support, the company decided to automate some processes in the production of orthopaedic technical devices. To identify targeted measures, the company also used the opportunity to carry out a digitalisation audit.
Baltec CNC Technologies used both consultations provided by Health Technology Cluster iVita on EU funding opportunities and general business digitalisation consultations from the Lithuanian Innovation Centre. The company received funding for two different industrial digitalisation projects and also carries out various R&D projects that support the development of digitalisation products. One of these is a robotic cell — a robotised workstation for a CNC machining centre.
This automation solution is especially attractive for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, as it enables them to modernise existing production equipment and transition to Industry 4.0-based processes and robotic manufacturing technologies with relatively low investment.
Acorus Calamus sought to reduce product costs, increase labour productivity, and obtain more accurate data for production management and decision-making. After using cluster services, the company implemented a new analytical programme and acquired more modern equipment to automate processes. This improved production efficiency and reduced the number of manual working hours.
Motivation from within
Companies were encouraged to take on digitalisation initiatives not only by the services offered by the cluster and the Lithuanian Innovation Centre but also by other companies within the cluster.
According to Ilona Kazlauskienė, Project Coordinator at Ortopedijos technika, the company did not want to fall behind other cluster members who were sharing their digitalisation success stories. Hearing about the benefits achieved by other companies, as well as the free services and opportunities available, naturally encouraged the company to take advantage of these possibilities and remain competitive.
Ekofrisa Director Lina Dužinskienė also noted that while the need to digitalise production processes arose naturally from within the company, membership in the cluster and targeted consultations from the Lithuanian Innovation Centre had a clear influence. Participation in the cluster encouraged the company to use available services and implement digitalisation solutions based on good practices and the experiences of other companies shared through iVita.
Cluster companies have also encouraged the cluster itself to adopt digital solutions. According to iVita cluster coordinator Diana Vertelkienė, clusters, including iVita, must digitalise their activities in order to remain efficient and competitive. Work environments, meetings, and communication are moving to online platforms, shared digital service platforms are being developed, remote exhibitions are being organized, and services are undergoing digital transformation.
However, D. Vertelkienė emphasizes that successful digitalisation requires focusing not only on digital transformation itself, but also on the ability to adapt quickly to rapidly changing digital conditions, solve emerging challenges together, share good practices, and strengthen digital competencies within companies.
Many companies are afraid of change and delay decisions that could transform their operations, even though such decisions can be key to business success or even survival. Therefore, it is important that company strategies include production modernization, the implementation of advanced technologies, and personnel policies adapted to Industry 4.0 challenges. Where possible, companies should also make use of available public funding.
The Lithuanian Innovation Centre, together with the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology, is implementing the InoLink project, co-financed by European funds. The project aims to encourage companies to join clusters, increase cluster maturity, promote growth, and strengthen international cooperation. As part of this project, the Lithuanian Innovation Centre is also developing Health Technology Cluster iVita.
