Kurk Lietuvai (in English: Create Lithuania), also known as KurkLT,[1][2] is a strategic government initiative focused on fostering innovation and implementing best practices within the Lithuanian public sector.[3][4] It is part of
Invest Lithuania, country's foreign investment agency.[5][6]
This is the only program of its kind in Lithuania with few equivalents abroad.[7] Multiple Lithuanian politicians have praised it for effectiveness and results.[8][9]UN and
UNESCO reports have identified Create Lithuania as a good example for other countries to follow.[10][11][12]
History
The program was created in 2012 as an attempt to establish a mechanism of innovation in Lithuanian public sector. In the early years of the program, it was co-financed by
European Union.[13][14] The program initially targeted young Lithuanian professionals with considerable foreign experience and attempted to attract them to Lithuania.[15][16][17] Many participants have been educated at primarily foreign universities, e.g.
Cambridge,
Oxford,
Maastricht and others.[18]
Past projects
During the first 6 years of its existence, the program successfully implemented 180 projects. During the first decade – about 300.[19] Since 2022, multiple projects were aimed at improving conditions for
Ukrainian refugees[20] and rebuilding Ukraine
post-war.[21][22] Create Lithuania has contributed to the creation of Lithuanian deposit-refund system,[23] which became one of the most successful in Europe with more than 90% return rate.[24] Lithuanian Startup Visa system was co-created by Create Lithuania and launched in 2017.[25] In 2019, 62 startups applied to relocate to Lithuania on Startup Visa, 18 of which were approved.[26] In its projects, Create Lithuania has also partnered with private companies, e.g.
Google[27][28] and
Oxylabs.[29]
Every year, the program selects about 20 participants for an annual work contracts that begin in September.[50] The program targets
Lithuanian diaspora and Lithuanians with extensive experience abroad, but is open to everyone.
Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Lithuanian embassies assist in recruiting the candidates.[51] Create Lithuania has had Lithuanians from all continents, also from countries not well known for Lithuanian diaspora like
New Zealand,
Mexico,
China or
Kenya.[52]
The program consists of two 6 month long projects in the Lithuanian public sector and its ministries and organizations. The projects are typically tailored to candidate's education, skills and interests. Therefore, there is a lot of variation in project areas – education, immigration, gender equality, finance, defense, business environment, city planning etc.[53][54][55][56][57]
In the past, KurkLT projects and their results have been presented to Lithuanian ministers,[58][59][60][61] prime minister,[62] presidents,[63][64] Government Chancellor and various heads of government institutions.[65]
Former participants
Majority of former participants moved to Lithuania for the program and about 80% of them stay in Lithuania long-term.[66][67] After the program, many take jobs in the public sector and former participants include multiple current or former deputy ministers,[68][69] ministers, deputy mayors,[70][71] heads of governmental institutions,[72][73][74] presidential advisers,[75][76] multiple advisers to the
prime minister,[77] members of Parliament and European commissioner. Notable former participants include MP
Lukas Savickas,[78] author
Unė Kaunaitė [
lt][79] and European Commissioner
Virginijus Sinkevičius.[80][81]
^"Aštuonioliktosios Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės programa". e-seimas.lrs.lt –
Seimas (in Lithuanian). Archived from
the original on 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-06. 139.4. Inovatyvios viešojo valdymo inovacijos. Siekdami modernios ir veikiančios viešojo valdymo sistemos, įkursime viešojo valdymo inovacijų centrą, kurį įtrauksime į Vyriausybės strateginės analizės centro (STRATA) sudėtį ir kuris sujungs jau dabar egzistuojančias iniciatyvas: „GovTech" laboratoriją, „Policy Lab" viešosios politikos inovacijų laboratoriją ir „Kurk Lietuvai" programą.
^"Good practices – "Create Lithuania"". Interreg. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-06. the programme was created as a tool to attract young proffesionals (Lithuanian citizens) back to Lithuania to implement innovative projects in public sector
^Degutis, Gintautas (2019-04-13).
""Startup Visa" rezultatai gerėja, panaši programa ruošiama ir darbuotojams". vz.lt – Verslo Žinios (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2024-02-06. Iš viso 2019 m. pirmąjį ketvirtį „Startup Visa" programa sulaukė 62 paraiškų iš užsienio įmonių, norinčių perkelti savo verslą į Lietuvą.
^Birgile, Gabija (2023-03-10).
"Oxylabs' "Project 4β" Partners with The Environmental Protection Department". Oxylabs. Retrieved 2024-02-06. Oxylabs will help tackle the problem of illegal classified ads in Lithuanian websites through the "Application of Webcrawling Method in the Environmental Protection Department activities" initiative, developed by the "Create Lithuania" program.