Purpose

What is Nemunas Valley (hereinafter – Nemunas Valley, for short – Valley)? 
Nemunas Valley is Integrated Science, Studies and Business Centre for developing Lithuanian agriculture, forest and food sector. The purpose of Development Programme of Nemunas Valley (Slėnio NEMUNAS plėtros programos), which is approved by Resolution No. 1130 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 October 2008, is to focus agricultural, forest and food scientific research, studies and knowledge-intensive business potential (a whole of subjects), having a shared and networked infrastructure of research and development (hereinafter – R&D), and contributing to creation of agricultural, forest and food development and knowledge economy and increase of Lithuanian economy competitiveness in a targeted way. The objective of  this Programme is creating a modern R&D and related infrastructure for general scientific research, studies and technological development needs of Lithuanian agricultural, forest and food sectors, commercialization of scientific results, transfer of technologies, establishment of new, knowledge-intensive economy entities, creating conditions for agricultural, forest and food companies which are knowledge-intensive, cooperating with science and studies institutions, groups of researchers and increasing competitiveness of Lithuanian agricultural, forest and food sciences and technologies in the international market. 

What is Nemunas Valley (hereinafter – Nemunas Valley, for short – Valley)? 

It is indicated in Nemunas Valley Development Programme approved by Resolution No. 1130 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 October 2008 that the Nemunas Valley Association for combining science, studies and business interests is established. It is indicated in the Government’s Resolution that founders and members of the Association are science and studies institutions, scientific research institutes, business subjects that expressed their wish to participate in creation and development of the Valley. The coordinators of the Programme are Nemunas Valley, the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Economy. The administration of Nemunas Valley ensures that open access to R&D  infrastructure would be organized for all Valley participants according to Rules of Open access centres establishment and management approved by Minister of Education and Science, makes strategic and development plans, implements Valley marketing, represents shared interests of Valley participants in municipal and state institutions, initiates joint projects, participates in their implementation, develops relations with other Lithuanian integrated science, studies and business centres, partners from foreign countries, international organizations and encourages cooperation of the members of Nemunas Valley and other participants of Nemunas Valley. Executors of these measures are responsible for implementation of separate measures of the Programme.   

 
Nemunas Valley founders together with Chairman of Committee on Rural Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Edmundas Pupinis, Minister of Agriculture Kazimieras Starkevičius, Minister of Education and Science Gintaras Steponavičius, Kaunas district Mayor Valerijus Makūnas, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Economy Gediminas Miškinis and Head of Strategic Planning and Science Division of Ministry of Agriculture Zita Duchovskienė after raising a flag on 15 May 2010.

Nemunas Valley Association is a legal person the goal of which is to coordinate, plan effectively and develop activity of members of Integrated Science, Studies and Business Centre, Nemunas Valley, represent the Association members’ interests, pursue the goals, tasks and functions set by the Association members.    
Goals of the Nemunas Valley Association:

  • to develop knowledge society improving science and studies system, system of creating and transferring technologies, strengthening science-business relation and performing other social-economic functions related to these activities;
  • to create and efficiently administrate integrated science, studies and business development infrastructure and R&D and other projects of human resource development directly related to its activity fields;
  • to ensure that integrated science, studies and business system created would work as open access public system, i.e., all science, studies and business subjects which signed respective agreements of using the system could use it;
  • to conduct scientific research in the following priority fields of integrated science, studies and business centre and R&D and other projects of human resource development directly related to its activity: agrobiotechnology, bioenergy and forestry; food technologies, safety and health.

Tasks of Nemunas Valley Association:

  • to make strategic, development and operative plans of the Association and implement Valley marketing;
  • to represent shared interests of Valley participants in municipal and state institutions and coordinate the activity of the Association members seeking implementation of Nemunas Valley goals;
  • to initiate and carry out joint projects of the Association members;
  • to develop relations with other Lithuanian and foreign integrated science, studies and business valleys, partners from foreign countries, international organizations and encourage cooperation of the Association members and other participants of  the Valley;
  • to take care of improvement of the Association members’ professional skills and qualification.

Functions of Nemunas Valley Association:

  • to implement Nemunas Valley goals, combining the Valley partners’ interests and representing them;
  • to approve the Valley development documents among the Valley partners and coordinate the Valley development;
  • to carry out the Valley Development Programme prioritizing activities and projects;
  • to ensure creating of value added in providing benefit to science, studies, business and society;
  • to ensure effective management of the Valley and implementation of the tasks of the Valley Programme;
  • to ensure effective science and business and horizontal cooperation among valleys, seeking to use assets, scientific results and resources efficiently;
  • to ensure open access and efficient use of science research infrastructure created;
  • to ensure publicizing of the Valley activity and results.