2024 Annual Report

Take a look at the overview of Visionary Analytics 2024 achievements, highlights, and contributions to the wider societal impact.

2024 highlights

Internationally recognised company with strong reputation

Ten years ago, our leadership built a vision to be the standard of excellence and value in our sectors, a leading international company that contributes to transforming well-being of our society. The year of 2024 brought us even closer to that as we continued growth in seven new Framework Contracts, which brings VA to lead or be a core partner in a total of 15 Framework Contracts with the European Commission, Cedefop, ETF, OECD, and European Parliament in 2025. About 100% of our services are being exported to international clients. In 2024, we led and contributed to over 50 projects with thematic areas also covering but not limited to silver tourism, collective bargaining and fair work, digital education, skills forecast and circular economy policies.

Leadership in the market through frontier research in Europe

As small giants among the best in Europe, we continued not only contributing but being the leaders of European research initiatives. In 2024, we expanded our work under the Horizon Europe grant on AI for policy while also leading research on telework and algorithmic management, the Digital Services Act, a foresight-on-demand study on the future of AI, as well as contributing to the EU’s flagship initiative the European Innovation Scoreboard and Regional Innovation Scoreboard, and more.

Workplace that inspires the best talent

As a values- and learning-driven company, we contribute to making a difference in the world through research bus also constantly take time for creating a work culture that fosters innovation, personal growth, autonomy, and trust. In 2024, we experimented a lot by giving our teams even more freedom and responsibility through building a remote-first company that proved to be an important and positive change in our climate and growth as an international team. To add, we further upgraded our employer value proposition with investment in cross-border hiring, holistic health, strengthening autonomous decision making and team cohesion.

Spotlight projects

How did we make an impact last year? Check out the selected projects and initiatives below!

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Labour Market and Social Affairs

  • Together with University of Bologna (lead) and 10 other partners, kicked off a Horizon Europe project “REmote-working Multiple impacts in the Age of disruptions: socioeconomic transformations, territorial rethinKING, and policy actions” for European Research Executive Agency.
  • Started leading a study supporting the ex-ante analysis of the impacts and potential policy options of an EU initiative in the area of telework and workers’ right to disconnect in the workplace in partnership with CSES and Notus for DG EMPL.
  • Worked on a study supporting the impact assessment of the future European Social Fund proposal to expand the knowledge for successful structural change in broad areas of ESF+ intervention with FBG for DG EMPL.
  • Concluded a study on hybrid workplaces in the EU: provision of case studies from the public and private sectors alongside Notus for Eurofound.
  • Researched “Skills pay dividends – accounting for human capital” on how to increase employer training investment and make it more visible in company accounts for DG EMPL.
  • Implemented a study on Prevention of OSH risks emerging from the dual transitions and at the centre of the EU trade strategy for European Trade Union Confederation.
  • Commenced a study to provide research and analytical support to the European education social partners (ETUCE and EFEE) in implementing project for European Sectoral Social Partners in Education addressing psychosocial risks for an equitable and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Started a “Fair Working Time Matters” (FATIMA) project organised jointly by UNI Europa’s ICTS, Property, Care, and Commerce sectors for the ongoing debate on the twin transition workers’ working time.

Digitalisation

  • Finalised a study on copyright in distance education and research: exploring the role of copyright in facilitating access to digital collections of libraries and other public interest institutions alongside KEA, OK Consulting, and Ecorys for DG CNECT.
  • Commenced a study on Digital Services Act technical assistance for market intelligence, evidence gathering, and compliance monitoring in collaboration with AI Forensics, Check First, UEA for DG CNECT.
  • Kicked off a Horizon Europe “AI4POL” project that aims to strengthen the EU’s position in the global AI landscape by equipping key policymakers and regulators with the necessary knowledge and tools to monitor AI advancements and enforce effective regulations aligned with European values, human rights, and citizens’ needs for European Research Executive Agency.
  • Led and finished a study to support the evaluation of the Directive (EU) 2017/1564 and of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1563, which implement into EU law the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled alongside OK Consulting for DG CNECT.
  • Completed a study supporting the implementation of the trusted flaggers mechanism under the Digital Services Act – 2024-009 for DG CNECT.
  • Researched the state of advertising transparency compliance with Digital Services Act Articles 26, 28, and 39 across very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) for DG CNECT.
  • Wrapped up a study on international benchmarking of the digital transformation in an assessment of the EU’s digital performance within a global perspective on digitalisation policy for DG CNECT.
  • Completed an evaluation of monitoring framework for the code of practice on disinformation to monitor and assess the implementation of the Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation (CoP) in partnership with Verian for DG CNECT.

Innovation, Research and Development

  • Kicked off the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) and the Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS) 2024-2027 project in partnership with EFIS (lead), Technopolis Group, and Old Continent.
  • Researched mapping and scoping of frugal and reverse innovation alongside 4Front for European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).
  • Finalised an ex-post evaluation of Cohesion policy programmes 2014-2020 financed by the ERDF on research, technological development, and innovation with Prognos and CSIL for DG REGIO.
  • Researched innovative practices in legislation around emerging tech with 4Front for European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).
  • In cooperation with “Vilnius economics”, Sensmetry, and Rubedos sistemos, worked on development of a product for risk and resource optimisation and management of 5G vehicles and their clusters (5G-FARRO) for the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency.
  • Led an evaluation of the Baltic Research Programme under the 2014-2021 EEA and Norway Grants in partnership with Blomeyer & Sanz.
  • Completed the development of ERA Scoreboard, the ERA Dashboard, and EU-wide tools to evaluate progress towards ERA objectives alongside Ecorys, Carca, UNU-MERIT, and NEBS for DG RTD.
  • Contributed to the support of the Lithuania’s space sector growth through the space industrial coordinator role for the European Space Agency alongside Tech&Space.

Education and Human Capital

  • Led and finalised a study to identify, analyse, and provide a comprehensive overview of the status quo and forward-looking insights in the areas of EU education and training, youth and sport policy for the European Parliament, CULT Committee.
  • Completed a study on well-being in digital education of the European school community taking into account the broader ecosystem and covering not only the state of play but also the needs and ways forward for JRC.
  • Finished a study supporting social inclusion in higher education (HE) to provide an analysis of inclusion and diversity initiatives in HE in all levels of governance in the EU-27 as well as to develop a toolbox for JRC and DG EAC.
  • Together with our partners Panteia and IRS, we supported Cedefop’s study for monitoring of the national implementation plans (NIPs) in the EU-27+ by preparing and conducting fieldwork and obtaining the views and opinions of VET stakeholders.
  • Finalised research on the impact of the online learning programme Girls Go Circular delivered to equip European schoolgirls with knowledge about circular economy and deep tech for European Institute of Technology Innovation Community RawMaterials.
  • Wrapped up an evaluation of the Lithuanian Millennium Schools Programme Implementation Progress for the Ministry of Education and Science in Lithuania.

Green Economy and Sustainability

  • Finished a study to contribute to the current understanding on the socio-economic impact of Circular Economy (CE) policies by developing a CE policy and socio-economic impacts’ typologies for JRC.
  • Implemented a study to identify, analyse and provide a comprehensive overview of the status quo and forward-looking insights on the subject of the role of the longevity economy in the tourism sector for European Parliament, TRAN Committee.
  • Continued our work on accelerating sustainability in telecoms organised by the European social partners in Telecom, ETNO and UNI Europa ICTS, aiming to understand the potential of new technologies to enable the twin transition in Telecoms, their impact on skills needs and the labour market.
  • Finished researching development of the Blueprint “European Energy Intensive Industry Skills Agenda and Strategy (SPIRE-SAIS)” for an ongoing and short-termed implementation of new skills demands concerning cross-sectoral industrial symbiosis (IS) and energy efficiency in collaboration with TU Dortmund University (lead) and 24 other partners for European Commission: Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
  • Finalised INTERCEPT project that aims motivating, mobilizing, and supporting NEETs green career pathway to come up with solutions for youth involvement in the green economy with Jobsplus and other partners for the EEA and Norway grants.

Future-fit Governance

  • Supported One Works Foundation in the development of a strategic plan aimed at defining the future urbanistic reconfiguration of the city of Mykolaiv (Ukraine) after war for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
  • Contributed to a EUROPE DIRECT performance study for DG COMM.
  • Commenced a study on the ESF complex operations, financial implementation method and performance orientation in the ongoing evaluation of the Cohesion Policy for DG EMPL.

Spotlight publications

Take a look at some of our reports and academic papers published in 2024!

Assessing Impacts of Participatory Foresight and Society Engagement in Policymaking

Assessing Impacts of Participatory Foresight and Society Engagement in Policymaking

This paper explores the impacts of participatory foresight and societal engagement in policymaking, specifically focusing on Lithuania’s “Lithuania 2050” national visioning process. Participatory foresight integrates diverse stakeholders in strategic processes, yielding tangible outputs like policies and plans, as well as intangible benefits such as increased trust, shared responsibility, and democratic engagement. However, its qualitative and societal impacts often remain underexplored, limiting foresight’s transformative potential. The study proposes and empirically validates a conceptual framework to assess the multidimensional impacts of participatory foresight, emphasizing immediate and intermediate outcomes, and focusing on intangible impacts of societal engagement. This study contributes to advancing participatory foresight impact assessment models, developing valid scales for measuring the impacts of participatory foresight in quantitative research, and fostering open governance.

Full article.

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Scenarios for the future of school education in the EU by 2040

Scenarios for the future of school education in the EU by 2040

How will a day of an EU school student look like in 2040? How do we want it to look like? What actions we need to take now to ensure that we are moving towards the preferred future and avoiding potentially harmful scenarios?

The answers to these questions were provided in the recent foresight study on the “Scenarios for the future of school education in the EU” carried out by Visionary Analytics in cooperation with ISINNOVA, Austrian Institute of Technology and 4strat with contributions of more than 80 European Commission officials, school education experts, representatives of teacher, student and headmaster umbrella organisations, and other stakeholders, from across the EU. The study provides four scenarios describing potential alternative futures of the school education in the EU by 2040 and recommendations on the policy measures that should be introduced or strengthened to achieve the most preferred scenario.

Full report. VA Spotlight summary.

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Towards a More Comprehensive Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Circular Economy Policies

Towards a More Comprehensive Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Circular Economy Policies

Socioeconomic impacts of Circular Economy (CE) policies, particularly those that are not easily quantifiable, are frequently overlooked. To address this shortcoming, a comprehensive Typology of Socioeconomic Impacts is developed in this work, which encompasses a wide range of identified impacts as well as providing insights into policy objectives, measures, economic sectors and products. The aim of this study is to offer lessons learned and recommendations to improve CE policymaking in the EU by making the scope and depth of socioeconomic impact assessments more comprehensive. It provides good practice examples from the literature analysed, EU impact assessments and evaluations as well as from international organisations, national and local governments and civil society.

Full report. VA Spotlight summary.

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Additionalities of innovation voucher schemes: evidence from Lithuania

Additionalities of innovation voucher schemes: evidence from Lithuania

The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of the impact of innovation vouchers (IVs) by assessing the additionality of IV instruments supporting business-research collaboration in Lithuania. The approach relies on studying potential input, behavioural and output additionalities created by IVs. Adopting this perspective, the paper outlines a theoretical framework that indicates the expected contribution of IV schemes and empirically tests its implications. The model is tested by analysing the Inno-vouchers LT instrument implemented in Lithuania in 2012–2014. Despite the policy relevance and use of IVs instruments, evidence on the effectiveness is limited. The authors present findings on IVs additionality and suggest avenues for further research.

Full article.

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What are the Trends of Telework and the Right to Disconnect, in the Context of Digitalisation and the Future of Work?

What are the Trends of Telework and the Right to Disconnect, in the Context of Digitalisation and the Future of Work?

Over recent decades, the use of information and communication technologies for work has facilitated flexible work arrangements, such as telework, which offer potential benefits to both employees and employers. At the same time, they also pose important risks, particularly in terms of working conditions, workers’ health and safety and work-life balance. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence showed that a sizeable proportion of employees and employers have a preference for hybrid working arrangements, that combine telework with on-site work. In light of this policy background, in 2022, the European Commission commissioned this study, as one of the follow-up actions to the European Parliament’s resolution. The objective of the study is to gather evidence and to better understand the challenges, opportunities and trends in relation to the flexibility of working time and work location, with a focus on telework and the right to disconnect.

Full report. Executive summary in EN. VA Spotlight summary.

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How Is Zero Distance XR Being Used across Different Industries?

How Is Zero Distance XR Being Used across Different Industries?

The general objective of the study is to assist the European Commission in designing lines of strategy and preparing actions to contribute to the strengthening of the extended reality (XR) industry and to incentivise industrial digitalisation through the uptake of XR technologies, in a competitive, secure, and ethical environment. The study also aids the European Commission to orient the work of a possible expert/stakeholder group, and liaise effectively with other related expert bodies at EU- and national-level to ensure comprehensive, multi-disciplinary analytics of the impact on XR technologies in the European economy and society.

Full report. Executive summary.  VA Spotlight summary.

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Contribution to public discussion

Take a look at some of our 2024 activities and contributions to the society!

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We started off the year in January with a long-term initiative of INTERCEPT project coming to an end with a closing event in Brussels. The project was aimed at unleashing the potential of NEETs aged 25-29 in the green sector though a pilot scheme that was tested in Italy (Tuscany), Lithuania, and Malta. During the final event, our Researcher Aurinta Elenskė and Research Director & Partner Dr Žilvinas Martinaitis together with the Institute of Economic Research – Slovak Academy of Sciences presented the findings from research activities carried out during the pilot.

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Our colleagues Research Director & Partner Audronė Sadauskaitė and Senior Researcher Jan Bednorz visiting Bologna for the RemakingEU “REmote-working – Multiple impacts in the Age of disruptions: socioeconomic transformations, territorial rethinKING, and policy actions” project kick-off meeting in February! Our team’s mission is to take stock of all the project results and translate them into actionable resources to facilitate decision-making for policymakers in collaboration with European Commission, European universities, and other partners.

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As part of the ETUCE’s Apres-COVID project, our Researcher Aleksandra Morozovaitė attended a case study visit of the oldest secondary school in Lisbon. During the visit in March, Aleksandra facilitated round table discussions with teachers, school leader, and school counsellor on their experience of the long-lasting impact that COVID-19 had on educators’ psychosocial wellbeing. The study will provide research and analytical support to the European education social partners (ETUCE and EFEE) in implementing an Equitable and Sustainable Recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

In April, the Managing Partner Agnė Paliokaitė took part in a seminar on the evaluation of Cohesion Policy support to Research, Technological Development, and Innovation (RTDI) in the 2014-2020 period, organised in Brussels on behalf of the European Commission (DG REGIO), and co-hosted by Prognos AG, CSIL, and Visionary Analytics. The seminar was dedicated to provide a unique forum for discussing, deepening and validating the new findings from the ongoing evaluation of RTDI as well as possible recommendations and improvements for future RTDI support under Cohesion Policy.

ETUC held a seminar in Ghent to discuss the prevention of occupational safety and health risks emerging from the dual transition. There in October, Researcher Aleksandra Morozovaitė presented interim research findings on the OSH risks emerging from the digital transition. The study’s aim is to provide evidence and good practice examples on the trade unions’ strategies for overcoming OSH challenges at the workplace brought by climate change and digital transition, hence informing their development of the European trade union agenda.

In November, the final conference of “The Baltic Research Programme (BRP) – a unique success story of regional collaborative research” was held in Vilnius, organised by the Research Council of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and the EEA and Norway Grants. The programme goals involve consolidation of regional research potential, strengthening its cooperation along with filling of the gap between the national research funding and the EU Structural Assistance. At the event, our Researcher Aurinta Elenskė presented the evaluation results on the BRP programme’s effectiveness and coherence that was implemented by Visionary Analytics with partners from Blomeyer & Sanz.

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One team

At Visionary Analytics we believe that people and culture are our greatest assets. We also believe that a company of the future is equally profit- and values- driven. Thus, we give our 100 percent to: our clients and employees, business and personal development, autonomy and teamwork, high standards and strong support, upholding strong values and practicing what we preach.

We pursue to advance and promote diversity in our own firm, our clients, and in society more broadly as well as to foster an inclusive culture, where every colleague - regardless of background - feels a deep sense of respect and belonging.

As our team has become remote-first, we have supported it with a culture of freedom, responsibility, flexibility, and trust where employee well-being meets workplace innovation as well as appreciation for our colleagues stepping into the 2025.

In 2024, we:

  • Worked from Lithuania, Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Spain, Poland, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Malta, Estonia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, San Marino, France, Portugal, and the United States.
  • Fully transitioned into the remote-first culture by implementing not only administrative but also adaptive changes and workplace innovation with a focus on employee wellbeing!
  • Not only continued our social initiative on Visionary Teacher Award but also supported Ukraine through volunteering.
  • Delivered a new employer value proposition that focuses on improving employee experience and talent attraction, sustainable growth through cross-border hiring, along with flexibility culture.
  • Dedicated our VA Academies to familiarising ourselves, deepening our knowledge, and practicing market innovations through AI and digital tools as well as their ethical application. Moreover, organised training sessions on complex project management along with a focus group for junior professionals.
  • Besides formal training, launched a bottom-up initiative for an internal task force designed to further experiment and pilot various digital and AI tools as well as train our team and develop ethical use guidelines.
  • Experimented with other internal initiatives both company- and team-wide to encourage team cohesion, freedom to fail, and honesty.
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