Energetically secure and sustainable restructuring: Lithuanian industry in the world context

Abstract

The analysis of investment has led to come across the conclusion that food, beverage, and tobacco producers and furniture manufacturers are much more sensitive to energy utilization, compared to other sub-sectors; while textile and leather producers had the least need for energy savings technologies. Lithuanian manufacturers across all sub-sectors were not likely to invest into green manufacturing as the most of companies participated in survey dedicated just a small budget for environmental protection. This tendency is expected to remain for next five years and it is expected that investment will increase at least 10 % within manufacturing sector over 2014–2020. Although, the investigation of present situation showed that the manufacturers did not tend to invest in environmental protection, however they believed that in near future green manufacturing might became one of the competitiveness factors. Most of Lithuanian manufacturers indicated that high quality and low costs of production were main factors forming their competitive advantage. Three of four questioned companies associated low intensity of energy with reducing production costs. Most of manufacturers believed that a high level of productivity depended on the technologies of production and the qualifications of the labour force. However this number varied between the sub-sectors. Companies operating in chemical and chemical products sub-sector were confident that a highly qualified labour force was necessary for improving their company’s performance and competing in the market. Although, we found that highly qualified labour force considered being one of the factors forming a competitive advantage, the manufacturers did not tend to spend on personnel training. The analysis of future perspectives revealed that more than a half of Lithuanian manufacturers expected that their industry would grow in 2014–2020. [...]