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Business Synergy: Why Astra LT Chooses Cooperation

Competing internationally and presenting services to potential clients becomes easier when industry specialists join forces and speak with a unified voice. One such cooperative business model is the cluster—a grouping of related companies that come together to pursue shared goals.

Clusters began forming in Lithuania several decades ago, but they gained significant popularity with the advent of EU financial support instruments. One example is the FTD LT (Food Technologies Digitalization LT) cluster, established in 2019. It brings together companies manufacturing equipment for the food industry and related sectors. Today, the cluster includes 15 companies, 1 scientific research organization, and 1 business support and education institution from Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Latvia.

Vaidas Liesionis, CEO of the Alytus-based metal processing company Astra LT, explains that the FTD LT cluster operates on a vertical model. This means that all members contribute their expertise and capabilities to support Astra LT in offering comprehensive project to end clients.

“We manufacture stainless steel tanks and pressure vessels for the food, chemical, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. To create these products, we rely on the support of our partners. Some focus on expanding sales abroad, while others provide specialized knowledge essential for project implementation. Thanks to the cluster, we can access both technical know-how and engineering services, which helps us remain competitive globally,” says V. Liesionis.

Tackling challenges together

Astra LT manufactures around 500 storage tanks and pressure vessels annually, across approximately 250 unique projects. Each project is custom, with almost no repetitive processes, making project management, timelines, and budgeting a constant challenge. To address this, the cluster has launched an event titled “Efficiency in the Manufacturing Chain”. The event invites members to examine sector-specific operations and identify ways to streamline processes.

“Many business challenges are repetitive. By sharing experiences and analyzing real cases, we can uncover more efficient ways of working and avoid common mistakes. Technological solutions, such as AI tools, also offer efficiency gains. We’ll explore with other cluster members how AI can be integrated into daily operations,” V. Liesionis talks about increasing efficiency.

He notes that business today is much faster-paced than a decade ago. In the past, when a client inquiry was received, it was optimal to prepare a proposal within a week. However, this pace of work is no longer effective. Therefore, the specialists at Astra LT have developed a technological tool that generates a proposal based on the information provided by the client in just 4 minutes.

Currently, the team is focused on another key efficiency challenge: how to organize production in a way that ensures an even workload for manufacturing capacity and avoids operational fluctuations. The easiest technological problems to solve are those that can be addressed by purchasing and installing standard or custom-made equipment. This year, our capabilities will be significantly enhanced by three entirely new machines, representing an investment of over one million euros and offering functionalities that were previously unavailable to us. However, the most complex challenges lie not in the technology itself, but in ensuring smooth and consistent process organization — from order intake and technical project planning, to technology development, procurement, production, quality control, and the creation of the product’s technical documentation,” says V. Liesionis.

The CEO of Astra LT emphasizes that clusters are a strategic solution for today’s business environment. They make it easier to solve recurring issues, optimize resource use, and adapt quickly to market shifts. However, for clusters to function effectively, it’s essential to invest time and effort in the training and development of all members.

Since its founding in 2019, the FTD LT cluster has united experienced market professionals, including: Astra LT AB, AC-Mejerimaskiner, Alytus Business Consulting Centre, Aksonas UAB, Aumega UAB, Licatrans UAB, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Nordic Stainless Steel Tanks LT UAB, Nordic Stainless Steel Tanks Oy, Nordic Stainless Steel Tank AB, K-Tech GmbH, Trans Group LT, UAB, Vaiskona, UAB, Žiežmarių Sodai ŽŪB, Food Project Management SIA, Lanksti Linija UAB, Išmanūs Inžineriniai Sprendimai MB, Termosnaigė ir Ko, UAB.

This report was prepared as part of the project “Development of a Mature Innovation Cluster” (No. 02-046-K-0006), co-financed by the European Union and the Republic of Lithuania, aiming to strengthen cooperation among cluster members and boost their international visibility.