Rita Lankauskienė
Head, LIRA Lab
Dr. Rita Lankauskienė is a Principal Research Fellow and Head of the LIRA Lab at the Institute of Economics and Rural Development, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, and Founder and President of the National Network of Living Labs in Lithuania. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences (Management and Administration). Her research focuses on sustainable regional and rural development, social innovation, innovative business models, collaboration and networking, circular bioeconomy, and smart specialisation. She has extensive experience in European research and innovation projects, including Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020 and INTERREG initiatives, and serves as an expert for the European Commission and the Lithuanian Research Council. Her work particularly explores collaborative and Living Lab approaches to innovation, stakeholder engagement, co-creation and sustainable development.