Amid tensions with China, the small European nation is positioning itself at the center of the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) hardware supply chain as a laser powerhouse.
The latest indication of Lithuania’s growing role in the sector came last month, when laser manufacturer Litilit launched a new factory in the capital, Vilnius. The expansion comes as the Baltic nation of fewer than three million people manages strained ties with Beijing, which has targeted Lithuania with a series of informal trade restrictions over its stance toward Taiwan.
In 2021, Lithuania emerged as a symbol of Taiwan’s expanding diplomatic engagement in Europe by allowing the opening of a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius, breaking a long-standing diplomatic convention.