Economy Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė stated that the funding will help attract high value-added projects and world-class companies from various sectors, creating well-paid jobs and strengthening the Lithuanian economy. “This will make it easier to attract high value-added projects and world-class companies from various sectors, which will create well-paid jobs and thus strengthen the Lithuanian economy,” Armonaitė said.
Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė highlighted that the additional support is aimed at defence companies that struggle to access bank loans or EU funding. The funds will be available through the state-run finance company Invega, which will offer investment or working capital loans through subordinated, syndicated, or direct loans.
Inga Beiliūnienė, Invega board member and head of business development, noted that many companies in the sector are just starting up in Lithuania, making it challenging for them to secure the necessary funding. She explained that banks are often reluctant to lend to defence companies due to concerns that the funds could potentially be misused, including financing terrorism or ending up on the black market.
This initiative follows a previous government decision in April, where EUR 850 million in soft loans were granted to companies investing in environmentally friendly technologies, high value-added products, and defence and security industries. The funding is part of the EU’s NextGenerationEU facility, aimed at supporting economic recovery and resilience across member states.