Insights from Dr Linas Bukauskas – rAVe [PUBS]
The latest Global Startup Ecosystem Index Report ranks Vilnius as the best EU city for the cybersecurity industry. “It was not an easy task to achieve such results, but maintaining them will be even harder if it becomes a reference index and other countries start following it”, says Assoc. Prof. Dr Linas Bukauskas from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Vilnius University.
According to the “Innovation Agency Lithuania”, the “StartupBlink” index shows that Lithuania has ranked 16th globally, with Vilnius rising to 71st position. The country has moved up by one spot, now ranking 10th in Europe and 8th in the EU, surpassing Ireland.
Vilnius stood out not only in cybersecurity but also in the medical technology industry, ranking 2nd among EU cities, while Kaunas ranks 3rd in this category. According to the researcher, maintaining leadership in Vilnius is a challenging yet achievable goal.
He suggests how to remain competitive: “Having the appropriate conditions to foster innovation will be pivotal to maintaining our leadership – solutions where such innovations move from products developed in universities to the market or promote Lithuania as an innovation hub to attract creative and knowledgeable professionals. So, what significance does this achievement hold for us? So far, this has been the best advertisement not only for Vilnius and Kaunas but also for Lithuania as a whole, as it demonstrates the country’s maturity,” says the Associate Professor.
According to him, it could also provide more opportunities for students to express their creativity and lead to broader career opportunities when changing their profession.
“However, it has to be emphasised that successful cybersecurity depends, to a large extent, on the quality of IT and computer science studies as well as students’ maturity. This indicator reflects the level of former graduates rather than that of current students. In other words, the key to such a high rate was our alumni’s hard work and quality approach to project implementation,” comments Assoc. Prof. Dr Linas Bukauskas.
For those seeking to develop their skills or considering a career change, Vilnius University offers a wide range of study programmes in the fields of mathematics, informatics, and cybersecurity taught in the leading cities of Vilnius and Kaunas.
