Lithuania, a country known for its love of basketball, is now making a name for itself in the life sciences sector. With a population of just 2.8 million, Lithuania is home to over 400 life sciences companies working in areas like gene editing, small molecule research, and mental health. The country aims to have the life sciences industry contribute 5% to its GDP by 2030, with major companies like Thermo Fisher Scientific and Biogen already investing in the region. The recent Life Sciences Baltics conference highlighted Lithuania’s growing influence in biotech, with discussions on how local companies and partners are driving success. Lithuania, along with Latvia, Slovenia, and Finland, has created the Baltic Biotech HUB Action Plan to strengthen the region’s life sciences ecosystem. This plan focuses on improving talent, research, infrastructure, and funding. Andrii Shekhirev, co-leader of the Biocatalyst Foundation, explained that the group is working to make the Baltic region more attractive to investors and better support startups. They’ve collected data on over 223 organizations in the Baltic biotech sector to guide their efforts. One of Lithuania’s success stories is CasZyme, a biotech company specializing in gene editing. Founded in 2017, CasZyme has developed its own Cas12l enzyme platform for CRISPR diagnostics and therapeutics. Giedrius Gasiūnas, the company’s co-founder, shared that their technology shows promise in treating eye diseases and improving CAR T-cell therapies. AstraZeneca’s Hans Sijbesma praised Lithuania’s strong public-private collaboration culture, which helps attract long-term investments. The Lithuanian government is also working to position the country as a gateway to the EU market, offering support for companies that invest at least €20 million. A major milestone was the opening of Celltechna, the first gene therapy center in the Baltics, part of the €7 billion Bio City project. This campus aims to create 2,400 new jobs and compete with other European biotech hubs. Lithuania is no longer just a research hub—it’s now focused on production, solidifying its place in the global life sciences industry.