Lithuanian BIC of CERN Technologies is open for applications

From a platform that uses artificial intelligence to stimulate children’s interest in research centres’ activities and STEM disciplines, to the next-generation 3D electronics printing technology that will revolutionise the way smart devices are made. These are just some of the start-ups nurtured by CERN Business Incubation Centre in Lithuania.    

Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LIC), together with Sunrise Valley Science and Technology Park and Kaunas Science and Technology Park invites companies to take part in the third call for Lithuanian Business Incubation Centre of CERN Technologies program. This is a great opportunity for start-ups, spin-offs and young companies with business ideas that utilise inovative and state-of-the-art CERN technologies. 

In the selection process particular attention will be paid to product or solution design proposals using one of the following five technologies (nevertheless, applications with other technologies will be accepted as well):  

• White Rabbit – a technology developed at CERN to provide sub-nanosecond accuracy and picoseconds precision of synchronisation for the LHC accelerators chain.  
• Rucio – a project that provides services and associated libraries for allowing scientific collaborations to manage large volumes of data spread across facilities at multiple institutions and organisations.  
• Ultralight Cold Plate – a technology developed by CERN for the cooling of power dissipating elements, based on micro-macro vascular pipes embedded in high thermal conductive carbon substrate.  
• Qubic Photon – Single Frequency Laser – a laser that operates on a single resonator mode, so that it emits quasi-monochromatic light with a very narrow linewidth and very low phase noise.  
• Structured Laser Beam – a low-cost laser that produces a non-diffractive beam (NDB) that has very low diverge and can maintain the Bessel-like beam and spot sizes for long distances.  

Selection for the CERN Incubator takes place in two stages: in the first stage, participants describe a preliminary business/product proposal or a technological problem, highlighting the need for utilising CERN technologies. CERN and LIC representatives then select up to 5 of the best applications to go through to the second round. The shortlisted participants then develop a detailed business plan. Finally, a panel made up of representatives from CERN, LIC science and technology parks, together with independent experts, select 2 startups to be invited to settle in Kaunas or Sunrise Valley STP for a period of 24 months.  

Selected participants of the CERN Business Incubator not only will have the opportunity to use the premises of one of the two science and technology parks, to consult with experts from CERN and LIC, but also to receive financial support of €40,000 and licensing of CERN’s intellectual property under preferential terms. The funding instrument will be implemented by Innovation Agency. 

Applications are open until 18 November 2022. More information on the selection conditions and the application form can be found on the Lithuania BIC website www.cern.lt/en/incubator 

CERN, the world’s largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory in Switzerland, granted Lithuania the status of an associate member in 2018. Associate membership opens opportunities for companies to work closely with CERN in science, industry and technology fields. CERN’s technologies and expertise can be applied in medicine, biomedicine, space, security, digitalisation, cultural heritage and other fields.