Alytus City is joining the IC Network

Alytus City has decided to join the IC Network as a formal partner. The City has been involved in IC activities from 2004. In the Innovation Circle project it even paid a role as lead partner. Now Alytus is ready to continue the job they have started. A contact person for the IC Network in Alytus is Ms. Virginija Auruskeviciene and she is also a board member in Baltic Innovation Group. Here you can find an interview with Ms. Virginija of what benefits the city sees in taking part in the IC.

Why did the city council decide to join the network ?

International cooperation is very important for Alytus. Participation in the IC network is giving opportunities for Alytus to strengthen relations with city-partners, to find new ones, to implement new international projects and attract new investments. IC network is a great tool to promote innovations and youth entrepreneurship of Alytus city and make the town more interesting, attractive, competitive and sustainable where young people would choose to live. Participation in the network allows us to share new ideas, different competences, fresh proposals and other experiences which are the basis for all innovations.

Alytus was Lead Partner in the IC project. After the project ended there was some hesitation about moving on with the transnational cooperation. Was there any particular reason for that? What influenced the change of opinion towards a positive decision?

The mission was introduced and explained to Alytus city Council: ’The Innovation Circle network should be an international association working for the benefit of smaller and medium sized places in Northen Europe, aiming at making such places sustainable and more attractive. The network will strengthen transnational cooperation and enhance awareness about cultural diversity, political and religious traditions. The network will bring decision makers, specialists, business people, voluntary workers and youth from different countries together into development projects and events’. After this, importance and benefit of participation in this network became obvious to everybody.

Are there any special fields or themes where Alytus is interested in cooperation with other partners?

As the emigration of youth is the normally consequence of the country economical development, we should create such living city and community where the youth would like to settle. We must involve young people in different projects, motivate them, encourage their entrepreneurship and involve them into the process of decision making. All the projects concerning the youth policy, city planning, tourism, culture and education are interesting and of great value for us.

Alytus city has about 70.000 inhabitants. How will you describe the most important challenges for your city and region?

Yes, Alytus is not very small town. It gives necessity to have complete infrastructure including good public health, entertaining and other social services. Of course, there is high correlation between social development and economical performance, but, I think, ‘feeding’ is necessary for both sectors.