Not ambition for the sake of ambition – but a bold, responsible, and strategic ambition that transforms not just into declarations or inspiring ideas, but into real actions. This is exactly what we will discuss at the forum “Vilnius Ambition” – an event fully dedicated to answering one question: what kind of city will we leave for future generations?
Vilnius – like the famous Napoleon cake – is made of many layers: culture, business, art, medicine, sports, innovation, communities, local government, public spaces, mobility, academia. These layers cannot simply exist side by side – they must blend together, merge into a coherent, meaningful, and smoothly functioning whole. When all these layers are in harmony, the city becomes more progressive, attractive, and resilient.
Let us imagine an ambitious Vilnius: a city of one million people, where music for Hollywood films is composed; where the cores of space and high-tech industries are located; where the most advanced medical centers operate; where large-scale international sports events – even the Olympic Games – take place; where air taxis fly above the Old Town; where unicorns – rapidly growing startups – “graze”; where the city’s arterial streets flow partly underground, opening new spaces for urban life. How do these ambitions sound for our beloved Vilnius? This is not a groundless dream – it is a matter of strategy, investment, and understanding how to monetize the city’s advantages so that Vilnius thrives for centuries.
Key Forum Questions:
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What kind of city do we want tomorrow? (social quality, cultural expression, economic appeal)
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How does ambition turn into reality? (leadership, governance tools, public–private partnership models)
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How can the city’s potential be monetized to serve for centuries? (culture → export products, medicine → focus on medical tourism, science → companies spun out from research institutions and licensing)
How the city can turn potential into revenue:
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Licensing cultural and artistic works: creating and exporting cultural products (film/TV soundtracks, festival brands, digital culture platforms).
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Film infrastructure and monetization of unused spaces: offering a full-service package for film production (locations, post-production, tax incentives).
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Commercialization of medical centers: international clinics, scientific trials, clinical research, and telemedicine as export fields.
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Innovation ecosystems and spin-off financing: university incubators + venture funds + advanced private labs that license technologies.
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Value capture from urban development: dedicating part of land value increases to infrastructure and cultural projects.
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Event economy: large international events (music, sports, conferences) generating income from ticket sales, sponsorship packages, and tourism services.
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Commercialization of mobility and infrastructure: air taxi corridors, paid high-speed connections, smart mobility services with sharing economy models.
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Multifunctionality of public spaces: commercial kiosks, cultural centers, partnerships with startups that add value to public spaces.
The forum does not only invite reflection – it calls for building an ambition plan. Through discussions, presentations, and intergenerational dialogue we will aim not only for inspiration but also for concrete guidelines: what institutional decisions, investment mechanisms, and policy changes will be needed for ambition to become Vilnius’ daily reality.
The forum will bring together everyone: city leaders, businesses, scientists, artists, representatives of sports and healthcare sectors, local government, communities, and active citizens. The forum will outline priority ambitions whose implementation will require political will, partner support, and financial solutions to ensure that Vilnius prospers for centuries to come.
You will find the program here.
The forum will be broadcast live at www.lrt.lt.