VILNIUS, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Life Sciences Baltics 2018, an international life sciences forum, kicked off here on Wednesday, bringing together experts and industry leaders from over 30 countries.
The forum, held in Lithuania every two years, is the largest of its kind in the Baltics. This year it has attracted around 1,800 participants, including world famous scientists, such as 2012 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Brian Kobilka, according to Enterprise Lithuania, the organizer of the event.
Lithuania, a small Baltic country with a population of less than 3 million, uses the two-day forum to position itself as the growing high tech center in the region.
According to economy minister Virginijus Sinkevicius, the country's life sciences sector grows at approximately 19 percent annually and shows one of the of most rapid growth paces in Europe.
"Today, the Lithuanian life sciences sector creates 1 percent of gross domestic product, yet the future outlook is 5 percent in ten years," the minister said in a statement opening the forum.
"This year we also have a first Chinese company exhibiting in the exhibition space. China is one of the most promising export direction for our high tech companies as well," Daina Klepone, managing director of Enterprise Lithuania, told Xinhua.
Enterprise Lithuania is an organization under the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy aiming to promote entrepreneurship, support business development and foster export.
Klepone said that Lithuania attaches great important to Chinese market concerning the life sciences sector.
"The Chinese market is the fourth biggest market for our manufacturers of medical instruments and several Lithuanian laser companies have established their offices in China," said Klepone.
