About 40% of defence companies cooperate with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, 45% would like to engage in cooperation and a tenth participates in NATO procurement, Erika Kuročkina said Monday.
“These figures show that we have real room for improvement. In my opinion, 40% is not enough. All companies that operate and want to operate in the defence industry, they should work 100% with their key customer,” the deputy minister said in a sitting of the Seimas subcommittee on high tech, innovation and digital economy.
Kuročkina said that “Miltech Academy” is scheduled for the second and third quarters of 2024 to bring the military and defence manufacturers closer. In addition, a workshop will be held in the second quarter of this year to identify challenges the defence industry could have an input to address.
The official highlighted the importance of companies producing combat drones. According to her, Ukrainian and Israeli manufacturers are also interested in drone production in Lithuania and are actively checking the potential in the country.
“There are 6 strong companies manufacturing drones in Lithuania today. We also see great potential for the development of these technologies in Lithuania while attracting foreign companies,” Kuročkina said.
The Ministry of Economy and Innovation estimates that there are currently 79 companies operating in Lithuania's defence sector, which employ 5.7 thousand people. The number of their staff grew by 14% from 2018 to 2023. The average salary of these employees in 2022 was 21% higher than the national average.
The turnover of the Lithuanian defence sector was EUR 700 million in 2022, a 46% growth from 2018.
Of the said companies, 25 work on electronic components and lasers, 24 make components, nine produce military gear and rations, six manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles and five maintain military equipment.