Across Europe, education systems are
under pressure to keep pace with rapid technological change. Countries are
experimenting with new approaches, with Estonia introducing artificial
intelligence into classrooms, while Lithuania is placing students directly into
startup environments.
At the centre of this shift is MVP
(Moksleivių vienaragių paieška, or “Student Unicorn Hunt”), a prime-time
national TV show where students aged 14–19 build and pitch real startups. Unlike
traditional classroom exercises, participants work under real startup
conditions, testing ideas, refining products, and presenting them to
experienced founders in front of a live audience.
Students are not just learning – they
are building under real pressure. Their ideas are challenged, refined, and
tested just like in actual startups. It’s similar to global formats like Shark
Tank, but designed specifically for students,
explain Marius Burgaila, a venture
builder and an early-stage investor, CEO of Lost Astronaut, and co-creator of
MVP.
This approach reflects broader changes
in Lithuania’s innovation landscape. The country has become one of the
fastest-growing tech ecosystems in Central and Eastern Europe, supported by
strong government backing and a dynamic startup culture. At the same time,
Lithuania has built a diverse ecosystem of startups across sectors, with a
strong global orientation driven by the need to scale beyond its small domestic
market.
Burgaila notes that while the
ecosystem is mature enough to absorb new founders, early exposure to
entrepreneurship remains critical:
For Vilnius, this is part of a
broader strategy to deepen its position as a tech hub. The city already
attracts talent and investment, but long-term growth depends on creating more
builders – people who start companies rather than wait to join them.
This focus on building talent is
particularly relevant as Lithuania accelerates the adoption of artificial
intelligence. Progress increasingly depends on individuals who can combine
technical expertise with product thinking, experimentation, and speed – skills
that are difficult to develop through traditional education alone.
Melita Tornau, Head of Marketing at
Turing College, argues that existing education systems are not equipped to keep
up with the pace of change.
The technology changes faster than a
university can print a new syllabus. That’s why entrepreneurship, data
literacy, and AI skills need to start in school – not after graduation.
Lithuania’s strategy reflects this
shift. With limited natural resources, the country is investing in human
capital, aiming to equip a large share of its workforce with both basic and
advanced AI skills through coordinated efforts across education, employment,
and business policy.
Ultimately, the goal is not to turn
every student into a founder, but to give every student encouragement to think,
try, and take ownership. When education systems create that kind of
environment, initiatives like these stop being exceptions and start becoming a
natural part of how schools work,
Burgaila adds.
If successful, Lithuania’s model could redefine how
countries prepare young people for the future of work, making entrepreneurship
and AI literacy a standard part of education.
In Vilnius, that shift is already
underway, with new initiatives combining education and startup environments to
better align learning with the realities of the modern economy.
