Upskilling course and creative sprint - summary of Vilnius meeting

Celebrating Art and Technology

From April 8 to 11, 2025, Talent Garden Vilnius's vibrant space hosted an intensive and inspiring working session within the framework of our project: Upskilling Course and Creative Sprint. The event was organized by our Lithuanian partners – Rietavo turizmo ir verslo informacijos centras and Hyper Island from Sweden.

Participants from across the Baltic Sea region—including representatives of public institutions, universities, businesses, creative spaces, and NGOs—came together to strengthen skills and co-create concrete concepts to support regional development. 

This was the third edition of such a gathering. Previous sessions were held in Cannes and Karlskrona, focusing on artificial intelligence and virtual cinema production. This time, the focus was on competence development, co-creation, and regional innovation models.

International Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange

The event gathered over 40 participants from Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and Germany, including representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the VRM Project Management Agency, as well as municipalities such as Rietavas, Mažeikiai and Telšiai. Creative spaces, including Talent Garden Vilnius and VILNIUS TECH LinkMenų fabrikas, were also represented.

The main objective of the meeting was to harness the combined potential of the creative, tech, and social sectors to co-create regional innovation hubs, particularly in the Telšiai region and the Rietavas municipality.

A Program Full of Inspiration

On the first day, participants attended a workshop by Sofia Arvegård from Sofia Wallin Development and Growth AB.

The workshops focused on team building and organizational culture. The sessions addressed group dynamics, stages of team development, and the importance of cultivating a shared culture for effective collaboration.

This was followed by an XR session with Vilius Petrauskas and Justina Šilinikaitė from muonā studio, who showcased how immersive technologies can be used in creative and educational contexts.

 The day concluded with a screening of the exceptional film "Pasaulių Sutvėrimas" ("Creation of Worlds"), based on the work of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis – an artistic journey merging music, painting, and VR in a powerful visual experience.

In Vilnius, we also visited Dūmų fabrikas, a creative and cultural space in Vilnius that provides an inspiring example of revitalisation and support for contemporary creative activities.

From Ideas to Action – Creative Group Work

In the following days, participants were divided into four international project groups that worked on solutions to support regional development and co-creation initiatives in the Telšiai region, with a special focus on Rietavas.

Creative workshops brought together international experts and project partners, including Danish artist René Holm, representatives of Talent Garden Vilnius and LinkMenų Fabrikas, social innovation expert Monika Stankevičiūtė, virtual production specialist Leonardas Žilinskas, and musician Vaidotas Valiukevičius from the Lithuanian band The Roop.

Four inspiring concepts were developed:

• Rietavas Innovation Hub – a regional coworking center for SMEs, startups and developers, combining innovation, training, international networking, and active local community engagement.
  
  

  

  

  
  

Discovering Oginski Heritage – an interactive educational experience using VR/AR technologies, aiming to bring the historical legacy of the Oginski family to life and create an attractive destination for tourists and local youth.

• Creative Camp in Rietavas – a concept for international creative residencies in a small town offering peace, inspiration and deep cultural immersion in collaboration with local residents. Vaidotas Valiukevičius of The Roop led the group.
  

• Art Meets Innovation – a modern art exhibition concept inspired by the works of René Holm, combining contemporary art with VR technology to propose a new format of artistic presentation and promote synergy between culture and innovation.
  
  

  

  

  A Project Gaining Momentum Toward Innovation

T.A.B. – Innovation Hubs for Tech, Art and Business is a dynamic and engaging initiative that continues to gain momentum with each new phase. As the collaboration among partners grows deeper, the project consistently generates and implements bold, creative solutions at the intersection of art, technology, entrepreneurship and community engagement.

The Vilnius meeting once again confirmed that the key to sustainable regional transformation lies in creativity, cross-sector collaboration, and empowering local communities. It was a time of intense work, inspiring dialogue, and focused efforts to respond to the pressing challenges faced by modern regions.

As Marie Björck, project lead from Blue Science Park, aptly put it:

"It’s not just about creating new ideas – it’s about building bridges where ideas can cross borders."

We are proud to be actively shaping this growing community.

 The true power of international projects lies in sharing experiences and building meaningful, lasting relationships between people, organizations, and regions.

With Gratitude

We extend our sincere thanks to the organizers and hosts of the event from Rietavo turizmo ir verslo informacijos centras, Talent Garden Vilnius and VILNIUS TECH LinkMenų fabrikas – for their warm welcome and hospitality. A huge thank you to the Hyper Island team for their exceptional organisation, moderation and energy throughout the days of the event.

We also thank all speakers, experts, and partners from Sweden, Poland, and Germany for their valuable contributions, active engagement, and knowledge sharing.

Team is everything. And together, we can achieve even more.

This event, as part of the T.A.B. project, received support from the Interreg South Baltic 2021–2027 program, fostering cross-sectoral development in the region.