On 14 November, the 9th – and final – meeting of the Lithuanian Women Innovators Living Lab under the GRASS CEILING project was held at the KTU Santaka Valley. The session focused on the theme “Empowerment”, marking the conclusion of a three-year programme dedicated to strengthening the role of women in agricultural innovation and enhancing their practical capacities.
Throughout the project, the Living Lab meetings provided a space for participants to share experiences, learn, test innovative solutions, and explore new development pathways. The closing session stood out for its thematic diversity and emphasis on the practical application of knowledge.
The meeting was attended by members of the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (EKVI) GRASS CEILING project team: Tomas Baležentis (team leader), Dalia Štreimikienė, Justas Štreimikis, Vaida Šapolaitė, and Vida Dabkienė.
Programme and presentations:
• Vida Dabkienė, EKVI researcher, academic Living Lab lead – From Idea to Change: Living Lab experiences in fostering innovation in Lithuanian women-led farms
• Vaida Šapolaitė, EKVI researcher – Presentation of the GRASS CEILING Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
• Tomas Karpavičius, business angel, professional board member, innovation ecosystem expert, researcher – From Start-ups to Systemic Change: The Role of Business in Innovation Ecosystems
• Renata Rudnicka, practical Living Lab lead, AgriFood Lithuania DIH – AgriFood Lithuania activities and new projects: opportunities for involvement
• Erika Ribašauskienė, EKVI junior researcher – Towards the Smart Village
The success of the project would not have been possible without the active involvement of the Lithuanian Living Lab participants, including: Daiva Šinkevičienė, Ina Grecka, Rasa Prusakova, Eglė Valuckaitė-Stašauskienė, Justė Jankauskienė, Justina Kočetova, Rūta Aliukonienė and Lina Vyšniauskaitė.
During the implementation of the project, the Lithuanian Living Lab became an important platform where women farmers were able to:
• strengthen their professional and managerial capacities,
• acquire new knowledge and competencies,
• experiment with agricultural innovations,
• establish partnerships with representatives from academia, business and local communities,
• and develop new directions for farm and rural development.
The accumulated experience enhanced participants’ confidence, deepened their understanding of innovation processes, and contributed to the development of more sustainable solutions.
Empowerment emerges where spaces for learning, collaboration and knowledge exchange are created. The GRASS CEILING Living Lab has become precisely such a platform.