Lithuania Publishes First White Paper on Facilitating Health-Data Sharing for Early-Stage Start-ups

Vilnius, September 2025 –  Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), the EIT Health Representative in Lithuania has released a white paper, “Providing secondary use of health data to early stage start-ups”, presenting key findings and recommendations from its pioneering Lithuania Data Pilot project.

The publication provides actionable guidance for European regions aiming to replicate Lithuania’s success. By enabling ethical, secure data exchange, countries can accelerate clinical research, attract investment, and improve health outcomes.

In February 2024 Lithuania launched its first Health Data Pilot to give early stage start-ups secure access to anonymised health information and accelerate innovation in the health sector. The initiative set out not only to open data, but also to evaluate user experience, data quality, transfer processes and security—identifying real-world barriers and the policy changes needed for wider adoption of data-driven health solutions.

The pilot was initiated by the EIT Health Representative in Lithuania and carried out in close cooperation with:

• LSMU Kaunas Klinikos, LSMU Kaunas Hospital, and Vilnius University Santaros Klinikos Biobank,
• the State Data Agency, which ensured access to state-register data and coordinated the transfer process,
• the Innovation Agency, which provided financial support and promoted political dialogue on innovation policy,
• Ellex law firm, offering legal oversight of the project, and BSV Ventures, providing strategic assessment and start-up potential evaluation.

The project also received backing from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and the Ministry of Health.

The newly released White Paper captures the results of this multi-stakeholder effort. It summarises project progress, highlights key insights and challenges, and offers practical recommendations for the next phase of Lithuania’s health-data strategy—paving the way for more effective, secure and innovation-friendly use of health data in the years ahead.

“Lithuania is showing how a small, agile country can lead Europe in responsible health data innovation,” notes Inga Kanapeckienė EIT Health representative in Lithuania and Health Data Pilot lead. “Our pilot proves that collaboration between government, healthcare providers, and the private sector can unlock enormous value for patients and the economy.”

From Conversation to Action

The idea for this white paper emerged during the EIT Health Morning Health Talks events, where healthcare leaders, policymakers, and innovators explored the opportunities and challenges of using health data to improve care and drive innovation.
What began as a lively on-stage discussions evolved into a multi-stakeholder initiative to test, analyse, and document how secure, ethical health-data use can transform healthcare delivery.

“No single hospital, start-up, ministry, or research institute can solve the region’s healthcare challenges alone (…) progress only happens when the ecosystem works together. Morning Health Talks facilitates this.” — Beata Kurucz RIS Collaboration Lead at EIT Health InnoStars.

Key Insights

• National-level data integration: Evidence that streamlined governance and infrastructure can enable secure, large-scale data sharing while protecting privacy.
• Opportunities for start-ups and industry: Practical examples of how health data can fuel new business models, from AI-driven diagnostics to personalised medicine.
• Policy recommendations: Concrete steps for creating a trusted environment for data use, including regulatory alignment, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable funding mechanisms.

Download the full white paper: EIT Health Lithuania Data Pilot White Paper 2025