Eika Asset Management (EAM), an investment management company belonging to the EIKA Group, is strengthening its team. Jarek Niewierowicz, who has accumulated diverse experience in infrastructure project development and investment funds, has joined the company’s fund management team.
Niewierowicz is an expert with extensive experience in energy, investment, and infrastructure project development. While serving as the Minister of Energy of Lithuania, he contributed to the development of important energy and infrastructure projects in the Baltic States and Poland, worked with the Lords LB Asset Management energy and infrastructure fund, and most recently served as the Chief Advisor for Environment and Infrastructure to President Gitanas Nausėda.
Niewierowicz made a significant contribution to the establishment of the first infrastructure fund licensed by the Bank of Lithuania in the Baltic States, and over the past decade, to numerous successful investments in the region in energy, transport, urban and road infrastructure projects.
“This cooperation reflects our determination to leverage the synergies from our already solid track record in developing, constructing and financing the most complex real estate, public and private partnership projects, and, based on them, to develop investments in other asset classes in a much broader geography – throughout Central Europe,” said Viktorija Orkinė, CEO of Eika Asset Management.
According to her, J. Niewierowicz brings to EAM a deep understanding of strategic infrastructure processes in the region, as well as practical experience working with professionals in the field from around the world.
“I am pleased with the trust of the EAM team and the opportunity to contribute to successful investment management. I am convinced that investing in the infrastructure of growing economies in our region is attractive and interesting for local investors, whose need to diversify their portfolios geographically and protect them from fluctuations is growing,” said J. Niewierowicz.
According to him, the maturity of some sectors in the region is visible not only through the growth of private investment flows: “The Lithuanian energy picture clearly shows what is happening with renewable energy production – for example, over the past two years, solar power plants have started operating, the construction of which has been invested in the amount of over 400 million euros of private funds. These solar power plants increased local production in the summer months towards an impressive 1 GW of power. In the regulated energy sector, over 920 million euros were invested in Lithuania in the heat, electricity, gas, water and waste sectors in 2023 – this shows the functioning algorithms for matching investments and mobilizing funds.”
Niewierowicz said that similar solutions for combining sources and various financing instruments will have to be found in other sectors.
“We see that it is necessary to find solutions for financing road infrastructure as soon as possible – the current 583 million euros for Lithuanian roads in the 2024 budget only meets half of the need to maintain their current technical quality, not to mention the needs for new roads,” he commented.
According to J. Niewierowicz, one of the solutions is the participation of private capital in solving these challenges.
“At the same time, this is an opportunity to contribute to strengthening the digital infrastructure and education sector. Investments in such an asset class respond not only to the growing needs of economies for infrastructure and connectivity of the countries of the region, but also to compensating for the existing financing deficit in this area, despite the still existing EU funding. The assembled EAM asset management team, which understands the needs and maintains a conservative investment profile, will seek to create additional value for investors,” he said.