A new phase in Pentasweet’s €65 million investment – foundations laid for Europe’s first sweet protein production facility
One of the largest biotechnology investments in Lithuania in recent years is gaining momentum – the construction of Pentasweet’s €65 million brazzein sweet protein factory. This major national investment project has entered a new stage: a symbolic capsule has been placed into the foundations of the future factory at the Vilnius City Innovation Industrial Park. The factory is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2027.One of the largest biotechnology investments in Lithuania in recent years is gaining momentum – the construction of Pentasweet’s €65 million brazzein sweet protein factory. This major national investment project has entered a new stage: a symbolic capsule has been placed into the foundations of the future factory at the Vilnius City Innovation Industrial Park. The factory is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2027.
“Lithuania is consistently strengthening its high value-added economy and is capable not only of creating innovation but also of turning it into real projects. The Pentasweet factory is the first brazzein production center of its kind in Europe, demonstrating that Lithuania can be among global leaders in life sciences. This is a meaningful investment not only in the economy but also in people’s health. Solutions that enable reduced sugar consumption have great potential to transform the food industry and everyday habits,” commented Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.
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Originally published on 22 Apr
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PAYSTRAX, a payment processing solutions provider, has announced further expansion of its Lithuanian operations. The company, which has successfully grown its presence in both Vilnius and Klaipėda, plans to strengthen its team across multiple departments in 2025, including Commercial, IT, and Finance.
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Originally published on 3 Mar
Tehnopol is part of the joint Northbound Scaleups (NBSCALE) project, which helps companies expand into new markets. The Estonian startup Phishbite went to visit Poland to look at possible target markets.
The goal was to meet at least five possible partners. “Making contacts was quite time-consuming and it was quite difficult to get through to the right people by telephone from here. The meetings we held went well, and we also managed to organise a couple of extra ones on the spot as well as those we had agreed in advance”, said co-founder of Phishbite Urmo Keskel.
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Originally published on 28 Feb
The Estonian Defence Industry Cluster today introduced the Baltic Drone Wall concept for the first time, which aims to strengthen the eastern border of the European Union and NATO. It is a cooperation initiative between Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which is currently joined by DefSecIntel Solutions, Rantelon, Marduk Technologies, Lendurai, Hevi Optronics, Frankenburg Technologies and TELEKONTA.
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Originally published on 28 Feb
Federal Express Corporation, the world’s largest express transportation company, has officially opened a new sorting facility in Vilnius. The new facility, being built as Lithuanian companies continue to show strong aspirations for international trade, provides businesses with improved cross-border e-commerce capabilities and streamlined logistics operations.
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Originally published on 27 Feb
In the coming years Ignitis ON, the leading EV fast-charging network, will become even larger and more convenient for EV drivers. The European Union (EU) made a decision to allocate EUR 16 million for the charging network’s expansion. The grant will help fund the installation of 500 new charging points. It is the largest-ever allocated sum to a charging network operator in the Baltics.
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Originally published on 27 Feb
The Baltic Sea plays an increasingly important role in the European energy sector, contributing both to energy security and the ongoing energy transition in the region. At ORLEN, we are committed to initiatives focused on this vital basin and fostering discussions on how to fully harness the Baltic Sea’s potential for the benefit of businesses and societies.
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HYBRIT’s pilot project for hydrogen gas storage has now been completed and reported to the Swedish Energy Agency. The results show that it is technically possible to store fossil-free hydrogen gas for producing fossil-free iron and steel on an industrial scale. This can also reduce the variable operating costs of hydrogen production by up to 40 per cent.
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Originally published on 27 Feb
In the Estonian-Latvian border region, public transport services that once provided convenient travel options for residents of both countries have been absent for several decades. The ROCC project, supported by the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027, is now approaching a significant milestone—the launch of two pilot bus routes. The Valga-Valka and Ikla-Ainaži (Salacgrīva) bus lines are expected to begin operating in the spring of 2025, offering new mobility opportunities for border residents and travelers alike.
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Originally published on 25 Feb
OpenAI is proud to work with Estonia’s government on a world-first initiative to provide all students and teachers in the secondary school system with access to ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT customized for education systems, starting with 10th and 11th graders by September 2025.
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Originally published on 25 Feb
A new solution has emerged in Latvia’s defence technology sector: the unmanned ground platform developed by the Latvian startup Natrix is a universal, modular solution that can be adapted for various applications. Currently, the Natrix platform’s primary tasks are delivering ammunition and food to the frontline and on the return journey evacuating the wounded and deceased, thus significantly reducing the risk of casualties for rescuers who previously had to evacuate the injured manually.
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Originally published on 25 Feb