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Building the Innovation Ecosystem Through MERIT 

In conversations about career development, entrepreneurship, and innovation, one word appears again and again: networking. Students are often encouraged to “build connections” and “meet the right people”, But a fundamental question remains: Is simply knowing many people enough to create real impact? 

A recent lecture delivered by Kristaps Banga (RTU representer, with huge experience in innovative solution development) to students at VILNIUS TECH explored exactly this question. The set of lectures, organised within the MERIT project, focused on the dynamics of the innovation ecosystem and the role collaboration plays in transforming ideas into real-world solutions. 

The message was clear: networking alone does not create influence — collaboration and value creation do. 

Innovation Happens in Ecosystems, Not in Isolation 

Many aspiring innovators believe that developing a strong idea or a promising technology is the most difficult part of innovation. Yet in reality, innovation rarely succeeds in isolation. 

As highlighted during the lecture, innovators must ask three essential questions: 

• Where is the value in the solution? 
• How will this value be captured? 
• Who are the enablers that will help bring it to life? 

These questions reveal an important truth: innovation requires an ecosystem. 

One of the most widely used frameworks for understanding how innovation ecosystem’s function is the Helix model. It describes how different sectors of society interact to create environments where new ideas, technologies, and solutions can emerge and scale. 

Over time, the Helix model has evolved from a simple partnership structure of universities, industry and government into a more comprehensive view of the innovation ecosystem. All the variations and aspects on its practical implementation were analysed in the class, to understand its implications and path to better innovation. 

Beyond Technical Expertise: The Importance of Soft Skills 

The Kristaps Banga lecture is just one example how advanced digital skills study programs include broader view to the future experts’ development. Preparing future digital experts is not only about teaching programming languages, algorithms, or data systems. Equally important are the soft skills that allow innovators to collaborate effectively in complex ecosystems. 

• Among the most critical skills highlighted in the MERIT study programs are: 
• Communication – explaining complex ideas clearly to different stakeholders 
• Collaboration – working productively across disciplines and cultures 
• Critical thinking – evaluating problems from multiple perspectives 
• Adaptability – responding to rapid technological and societal changes 
• Leadership – guiding teams and initiatives toward real impact 

In innovation ecosystems, success often depends not on individual brilliance, but on the ability to coordinate people, knowledge, and resources. 

This is why initiatives like MERIT place strong emphasis on team-based projects, international collaboration, and real-world engagement with industry partners. 

Preparing the Digital Innovation Experts of Tomorrow 

The digital transformation of society is accelerating rapidly. Organisations across sectors are searching for professionals who combine advanced digital expertise with strategic and collaborative thinking. 

In MERIT study programs students are encouraged to: 

💡 Build solutions 

🤝 Build networks 

⚙️ And most importantly — turn those networks into real value through collaboration 

The lecture by Kristaps Banga served as a powerful reminder that the most impactful innovators are not those who simply accumulate contacts, but those who activate their networks to create meaningful change. 

From Networking to Impact 

For students at VILNIUS TECH and across the MERIT community, the takeaway is both simple and profound: Innovation is a team sport. 

The future belongs to those who can connect ideas, disciplines, organisations, and people into strong innovation ecosystems. By combining technical excellence, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong collaboration skills, the next generation of digital experts will be ready to tackle the complex challenges of tomorrow. 

And that is precisely the vision that the MERIT project is helping to bring to life.