“The new Gene Therapy Centre promises us more precise treatments for genetic diseases, more advanced medicine and a better quality of life for our people. This is a precious investment in our health and the well-being of our country. The opening of Celltechna makes us look forward to the future with hope and to an even greater contribution of life sciences to Lithuania’s economic progress. At the same time, the entire biopharmaceutical sector must continue to attract investment, develop talent and create world-class innovations,” said President Gitanas Nausėda.

Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė emphasized that over the past years, the country’s life sciences sector has established itself as one of the most dynamic in Europe.

“The opening of the first gene therapy centre in the Baltic States is another step forward in developing a world-class life sciences infrastructure in our country,” said Armonaitė.

Bio City

The opening of the Gene Therapy Centre in Vilnius also marks a milestone – the completion of the first building in the second part of the Bio City project in the Baltic States. The biotechnology city project, which will be the largest in Europe, consists of three parts – Bio City I, Bio City II and Bio City III. This biotechnology ecosystem will allow Lithuania to strengthen its regional leadership in gene and cell engineering and to apply advanced scientific discoveries for the benefit of society, states Celltechna.

According to the creator of the project, Prof. Vladas Algirdas Bumelis, the vision of Bio City I grew out of Northway Biotech, a company that was founded in 2004 and has been successfully operating in Vilnius ever since – a company that develops manufacturing technologies and produces biological medicines. The company’s biologics contract development and manufacturing facility in Boston, USA, aims for international leadership from 2020. Today, the Vilnius and Boston sites form part of Bio City I.  

BioCity I, II and III. Photo: Agne Rasciute

Part II Bio City

Part II of the Bio City project starts with the Gene Therapy Centre. Around EUR 50 million has already been invested in the centre, partly financed by a loan from Citadele and NIB banks. It will employ over 100 people.

“Celltechna established Gene Therapy Centre will be used for innovative gene therapy research and production of gene therapy components. I believe that with the excellent conditions to work in Lithuania, our scientists and biotechnologists will create several significant breakthroughs and enable the life sciences industry to reach a new level of global leadership,” said Bumelis, founder of the Gene Therapy Centre.

In addition to the Gene Therapy Centre, the Bio City II complex is planned to include a Large-Scale Mammalian ProductionCentre, a Gene Therapy Production Centre, a Life Sciences Industry Hub Smart Services Centre and a Biotechnology Innovation Centre by 2030.

CEO and Chairman of the Board of Northway Biotech Prof. Habil. Dr. Vladas Algirdas. Photo: Agne Rasciute

Part III Bio City

Part III of Bio City has already been planned and will be developed in the Vilnius City Innovation Industrial Park. It is expected to include an Innovative Centre for Cell, Tissue and Organ Engineering and 3D Bioprinting and a Large-Scale Microbial ProductionCentre.

A long-term vision

The total project potential in Vilnius will include two research and experimental development centres and six production buildings. The Bio City space will grow to an area the size of 15 football fields.

The investment in the entire biotech city is expected to reach around EUR 7 billion over the next decade, which will result in several times higher returns for the national economy. A total of 2,400 people will be employed.

Read more: The Baltics – An emerging life science hub

A leader in advanced biotechnologies

The centre’s activities are focused on contract manufacturing services and research activities, which, according to Bumelis, ensure competitiveness and create value in all areas. Bumelis is convinced that advanced biotechnologies, such as gene editing or cell therapy, are developing very rapidly, and Lithuania should be one of the leaders in this evolution. He notes that the development of a biotechnology city in Vilnius has opened up opportunities for new partnerships with innovative start-ups, research institutions and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

The life science industry in Lithuania

Currently, the life sciences industry accounts for around 2% of Lithuania’s gross domestic product (GDP). The long-term strategy adopted by the Government of Lithuania aims to increase this share to 5 % by 2030.