On 25–26 February, at the 14th annual CEE Business Services Summit & Awards 2026 held in Warsaw, Kaunas received major international recognition, winning the Emerging City of the Year – CEE award.
The awards are organised by the European Business Services Association, which each year highlights the most outstanding achievements in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) business services sector. Winners are determined by combining scores from an independent jury (two thirds of the total points) and participant voting (one third of the total points).
Strong competitors, an even more meaningful victory
This year, Kaunas was shortlisted for the Emerging City of the Year award alongside the Polish city of Katowice.
Katowice is firmly established on the international map of shared service centres, GBS and BPO operations. In this context, Kaunas’s win is not only symbolic but also highly practical: it increases the city’s visibility among investors and talent deciding where to expand and locate operations.
“Such recognition shows that Kaunas is growing steadily, strategically and with confidence. Businesses trust us, invest, and create new jobs. Modern business needs speed, clear decisions and ambition – that is exactly what Kaunas offers.
A significant number of new bridges and infrastructure projects are being built exclusively with Kaunas residents’ funds. Investment flows are rising, and development is taking place across areas ranging from projects of national importance to sport, education and healthcare. This increases the city’s appeal to both Lithuanian and international investors.
Competition scale: 14 categories and 89 finalists
This year’s awards included 14 categories, with 89 companies and separately nominated CEE cities making the shortlist.
For Kaunas, the win represents more than a certificate or a title: awards like these act as an international seal of quality, helping open doors more quickly and more widely for discussions with investors, strengthening confidence in the city, and increasing its attractiveness to people considering relocating to work, build a business, or study in Kaunas.
What this recognition says about Kaunas’s direction
According to Tadas Stankevičius, Head of the public institution Kaunas IN, the recognition above all reflects the city’s pace and direction:
“Kaunas was noticed because we are consistently developing the business services ecosystem: we are strengthening the talent pipeline together with universities, helping international teams to settle in, investing in the city’s comfort and everyday infrastructure, and, most importantly, creating a clear, easily accessible and efficient landing system for incoming people and companies. The fact that we were also nominated in this category last year demonstrates our consistent focus. And this year’s win confirms it: Kaunas is no longer merely a city of hopes and expectations – it is becoming an attractive choice that grows businesses and communities.”
