LITHUANIAN TEXTILE INSTITUTE
After establishment of one of the largest Artificial Fiber Plants in Europe on the initiative of the Lithuanian Council of Ministry the scientific research institute of the Lithuanian Textile industry was founded in Kaunas in 1960. The first scientific investigations at the Institute were aimed at the development and advancement of fabrication technologies of fabrics from acetate and triacetate yarn, creation of various fabrics from these yarns and implementation of research results at textile plants.
With the expansion of textile application fields a new technical textile research direction was initiated at the institute in 1980. The most significant research was intended for the cosmic and aviation industry - thermoisolating panels designed for the „Buran“ shuttle cladding as well as textile for aviation composite materials and special fabrics for spacesuits, etc., were developed and produced by the scientists.
In 1986 the institute was affiliated by the Ministry of Light Industry and became the Textile fabrics research institute. After restoration of the independence of Lithuania in 1990 the institute became the Lithuanian Textile institute (LTI), and in 1991 it was registered as a state science institution. Scientists of the institute made use of the gained experience in the technical textile development for the space and aviation industry and started an intensive development of the most promising textile directions - technical textile fabrics. Two main research directions were distinguished at LTI: the first one - creation of new fabrics and garments for people working under extreme conditions and the second - the technical textile fabrics for needs of food industry and medicine. The second direction included the study of individual protection garments for military and police needs as well as investigation of properties of textile fabrics and garments. Most of the investigations of the institute were of applied character - garment prototypes were developed from new fabrics and their production technologies were tested at the experimental laboratory of the institute. Most of the created garments were exhibited at specialized international expositions together with other European textile institutes, and in 2004 LTI became the real member of the European textile science research institutes association TEXTRANET.
During 2002–2010 the institute renewed a major part of its research equipment and successfully participated in international and national scientific projects: 7BP, COST, ACCESS, Leonardo da Vinci, EUREKA, NATO RTO, Lithuanian High Technology Development program, etc. In 2000- the LTI Textile materials testing laboratory was updated and in 2002 it was accredited to the LST EN ISO/IEC 17025 standards. In 2004 the laboratory was recognized to be a conformity assessment institution of the personal protective equipment, the identification No.1401.
In 2002 LTI introduced the quality control system for the scientific research as well as design and production of textile fabrics and garments according to the EN ISO 9001:2000 standard (currently EN ISO 9001:2008).
In close collaboration with the Lithuanian Standards Board with the aim to assist the Lithuanian textile plants in coming onto the European market the Institute has formed the technical committee TK 21 „Tekstilė“, the mission of which is to apply the EU standardization requirements and directives in the Lithuanian standards system. LTI scientists are taking active part in international organizations forming the European textile policy: they work in the working group of the European commission directive on the textile marking, are experts of the EU textile and clothing sector technological platform and the 7th Framework program, and members of the EU standardization technical committee CEN/TC 248 „Textile and textile garments“.
From 2009 the Lithuanian Textile Institute is the promoter and member of the National innovative textile and clothing association.
In 2012 according to the resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania the Lithuanian Textile Institute was affiliated with the State research institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology.