Lithuania’s laser legacy: from university labs to global exports

In 1966, scientists at Vilnius University created Lithuania’s first laser, just six years after the invention of the technology worldwide. Today, Lithuania is home to 60 laser and photonics companies employing over 2,000 highly skilled specialists, with more than 90% of the sector’s production being exported.

The development stems from decades of building an ecosystem of science, business, and talented individuals, beginning with a few ambitious physicists and evolving into technology used in leading universities and industries globally.

Professor Povilas Brazdžiūnas recognized the potential of laser physics in the early 1960s and initiated the training of Lithuanian students in quantum electronics and wave physics. Algis Petras Piskarskas, Evaldas Kazys Maldutis, and Irena Gulbinaitė-Nagisetty were sent to study, returning with knowledge and equipment to establish strong laser research schools in Vilnius. Simultaneously, physicists like Juozas Vidmantis Vaitkus saw the need for short, intense light pulses for semiconductor research, finding a solution in the newly invented ruby laser.

This early work led to the creation of experimental production units, like the one at the Institute of Physics, which manufactured components and eventually evolved into companies such as “Standa” and “Ekspla.” Lithuania’s unique strength lies in its integration of science and manufacturing, where researchers built their own equipment and engineers collaborated closely with scientists.

Now, Lithuanian-made technologies are used in 96 of the world’s top 100 universities and are expanding into areas like quantum technology and space applications, including a laser launched into orbit in 2025.