The revitalization of Kupiškis – developing a strategic direction

Problema

The Kupiškis District faces deepening demographic challenges and structural socioeconomic difficulties typical of many peripheral municipalities. Since 2015, the district’s population has declined by 12.94% (to 15,366 people[1]), which directly increases the costs of maintaining aging public infrastructure and services.  

The challenges of the region’s economic development are illustrated by the dominance of sectors with lower added value: agriculture, light industry (particularly wood processing and food production), and a service sector oriented toward the local market. The district’s GDP per capita is only ~70% of the national average, registered unemployment stands at 9.1% [2], and transit tourism is clearly reflected in the average length of stay of just 1.2 nights. The situation is further complicated by poor environmental management indicators (39th out of 60 Municipalities in the environmental rating), which limit the city’s ability to attract European Union investments. Without an integrated development strategy, there is a risk that socioeconomic challenges and territorial exclusion will continue to deepen in the district. 

However, this situation coexists with significant local potential—which has so far been underutilized and fragmented—and high social capital (participation in non-formal education in the district reaches as high as 84.68%). Kupiškis possesses an exceptional recreational resource—the 800-hectare Kupiškis Reservoir—and a unique, authentic ethnocultural heritage. Systematically integrating these elements into a value chain would create the conditions for the development of services based on the concepts of “blue economy” and “slow living.” Harnessing natural and cultural resources would increase the municipality’s economic competitiveness and slow down depopulation processes. 

1. Number of permanent residents as of July 1, 2025. Official Statistics Portal Indicators Database. 
2. Ratio of registered unemployed to working-age population, 2025. Official Statistics Portal Indicators Database. 

Tikslas

The goal of the project is to identify areas that will strengthen Kupiškis’ economic competitiveness, attract investment, and provide a strategic direction. 

Dalyviai

2025/26

Goda Damaševičiūtė

2025/26

Viktorija Semėnaitė