Investment Highway takes effect: Lithuania opens Europe’s fastest development track
Lithuania is transforming the timelines for strategic investment development in Europe. The country’s Investment Highway initiative, entering into force on November 1, 2025, enables large-scale projects to progress from initial decision to active construction in as little as three months, thus positioning Lithuania as one of Europe’s most agile investment destinations.
Accelerating pre-construction timelines
The Investment Highway removes traditional bureaucratic bottlenecks in territorial planning and construction permitting processes. Qualifying investors can begin building immediately after publishing a construction notice, while permitting proceeds in the background. The framework also enables phased construction, allowing work to commence on completed sections of the technical project while other components remain in design. These changes deliver substantial time savings compared to previous timelines, where the journey from site selection to construction could stretch up to three years.
In practice, this means pre-construction timelines shrink by up to 50% for all large-scale projects – from 36 months down to around 19 months. Projects establishing operations in Lithuania’s seven Free Economic Zones, where territorial planning is already complete, can break ground even faster, reducing timelines from 24 months to just 9 months. Defence sector projects benefit from the most dramatic acceleration: timelines compress from 36 months to just 3 months in non-urbanised areas and from 36 months to 10 months in urbanised locations.
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Originally published on 3 Nov
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The German ABO Energy group has been granted a planning reservation to build a hydrogen production plant in Oulu in northern Finland. In the preliminary plan, the new hydrogen plant would have an electrolyser with a maximum capacity of 600 MW. Implementation would take place in 2-3 phases.
In addition to hydrogen production, the company is exploring the possibility of producing methanol and sustainable aviation fuel (E-SAF) in Oulu. The feasibility of synthetic fuel production depends on the availability of biogenic carbon dioxide. ABO Energy would offer the waste heat generated for use as district heating in the Oulu region.
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Originally published on 9 Apr
Net Group, an Estonian business and software development company, has expanded into Germany by acquiring Cloud Ahoi GmbH, a technology company specializing in comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for both private and public sector clients.
“The transaction is significant because on the one hand we are increasing our capabilities in providing cybersecurity services, and on the other hand Germany is Estonia’s largest export market. This gives us a unique opportunity to export valuable knowledge from Estonia to Germany for both the private and public sectors,” stated Priit Kongo, CEO of Net Group.
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Originally published on 8 Apr
The City of Oulu has been preparing to reserve land for three new hydrogen production and processing plants. The City’s aim is to actively promote green transition investments in its area. Advancing the planning of three new hydrogen plants will support the growth of hydrogen economy and the development of Oulu’s local hydrogen infrastructure.
The planning reservations for the Pyyryväinen site will be discussed by the City of Oulu Urban Environment Committee at its meeting on 8 April 2025. The site is a virtually undeveloped, large-scale industrial area of up to 800 hectares less than 10 kilometres from the centre of Oulu, next to the Välikylä industrial district. The area required by businesses ranges from 15 hectares to 41 hectares.
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Originally published on 3 Apr
Solid-state lithium batteries have the potential to transform energy storage by offering higher energy density and improved safety compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries. However, their limited lifespan remains a major challenge. To address this, researchers at Luleå University of Technology have developed new materials that can significantly extend battery life.
“Our new materials can be used in cathode and electrolyte to extend battery lifespan and support the development of more environmentally friendly energy storage,” says Jiajia Li, who recently completed her PhD in Energy Engineering at Luleå University of Technology.
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Originally published on 8 Apr
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group opened an office in Estonia today to drive strategic investments and sustainable growth in the country. The new office, located in the capital Tallinn, will focus on priority projects in areas including climate action, digitalisation, security and defence.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), will use its presence in Tallinn to deepen cooperation with Estonian partners in the public and private sectors including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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Originally published on 8 Apr
Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) has received its first STS crane, which will be installed at the new container terminal in Ydre Nordhavn, Copenhagen, from Konecranes in Finland.
The voyage took four days, and it is a significant milestone that the crane has now safely reached its final destination. The arrival of the crane marks an important step for CMP. This advanced STS crane symbolises CMP’s ambitions, together with By & Havn, the developer of the new container terminal, to create one of the most efficient and modern container terminals in Northern Europe.
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Originally published on 7 Apr
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group opened an office in Latvia today to propel strategic investments and sustainable growth in the country. This office, located in the capital Riga, will focus on priority projects in areas including climate action, digitalisation, housing, security and defence.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), will use its presence in Riga to deepen cooperation with Latvian partners in the public and private sectors including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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Originally published on 7 Apr
The adaptation of the Grain Quay to a depth of 12.5 m in the port of Szczecin has become a fact. The investment by the Szczecin and Sea Port Authority significantly increased the transshipment capacity of the Grain Quay by being ready to handle larger ships than before – with a draft of up to 11.0 m (i.e. the same ones that can enter Szczecin via the deepened waterway).
Before the investment, the depth at the quay was 10 m. This means that we could handle ships with a maximum draft of up to 8.5-9 m. Now it is two meters more.
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Originally published on 3 Apr
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €50 million loan to Lantmännen to co-finance the construction of a new pea protein isolate factory in Lidköping. The loan will cover approximately half of the project investment cost.
The first of its kind in Sweden, the factory will have an annual processing capacity of over 40 000 tonnes of peas grown by Lantmännen cooperative members. It is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027 and to create around 30 jobs in the region.
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Originally published on 3 Apr
Estonian energy company Eesti Energia opened the Baltic’s largest battery storage at the Auvere industrial complex. This state-of-the-art storage system is already enhancing the stability of the regional electricity grid and mitigating high peak electricity prices for consumers.
According to Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi, who attended the inauguration event, the Auvere battery reservoir represents a pivotal advancement in Estonia’s energy transition. “For a democratic nation, having renewable energy storage capacity is crucial for enhancing energy independence. It’s also heartening that this investment incorporates technology from the free world,” Ligi stated.
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Originally published on 3 Apr