On Monday, 24 November, LIOS scientists – including six winners of the first BioPhoT competition – participated in the inaugural, well-attended “BioPhoT – Latvia’s Innovation Launchpad” conference at the Science and Innovation Centre of Riga Technical University.
Similar to other BioPhoT events, the primary aim of the conference was to continuously foster and maintain valuable practices in Latvia – bringing together representatives from science, industry and policy to ensure that scientific achievements align closely with industry needs and interests, thereby promoting Latvia’s economic growth.
The conference programme was designed to cater to a diverse audience, featuring inspiring success stories from both international and Latvian companies, including SIA Groglass and Cellbox Labs. The special guest, Scott L. Dax, shared his experiences and insights on the path of innovation in biotechnology.
During the panel discussion, moderated by Andris Anspoks (Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia), contributions were made by Normunds Bergs (Latvian Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry Association), Vitālijs Skrīvelis (Latvian Association of LifeScience Industry), Egija Aurelija Liepina (Ministry of Economics), Roberts Rimsa (Cellbox Labs), Osvalds Pugovičs (Head of the BioPhoT Platform) and Lauma Muizniece (Latvian Science Council). Experts emphasised the importance of developing and maintaining collaboration between science and industry to ensure that Latvian innovations are translated into tangible products and solutions.
Attendees also had the opportunity to explore the first 40 projects funded by the BioPhoT platform, which encompass innovative approaches in medicine, diagnostics, materials science and environmental technologies.
The overarching goal of the BioPhoT-supported projects is to generate internationally competitive innovations and to strengthen collaboration between science and business.
Photo: Dmitrijs Suļžics