Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis and the Latvian Biomedical and research study centre join forces to establish the largest Baltic Center for Life Sciences

On May 18, 2023, the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS) and Latvian Biomedical and research study centre (BMC), together with the Ministry of Education and Science, introduced the society to the decision of merging both institutes and establishing the largest Baltic Centre for Life Sciences by the middle of 2026.
LIOS and BMC are the top-ranked research organizations in their respective fields in Latvia, so by combining their expertise and strengths, the new organization has the potential to become a significant scientific centre not only in Latvia and the Baltics but also to secure a stable position among Europe’s top life sciences research organizations.

From left: Dmitrijs Stepanovs, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Science, Osvalds Pugovičs, Director of LIOS, Anda Čakša, the minister of Education and Science, Nils Rostoks, Director of BMC, Jānis Kloviņš, Chairman of the Scientific Board of BMC,  Zanda Jurjāne, Executive Director at Latvian Association of Life Science Industry, Edgars Sūna, Chairman of the Scientific Board of LIOS.

The consolidation will open up opportunities to enhance the quality of research and leverage each other’s scientific expertise. It will also significantly expand the diversity and accessibility of research infrastructure.
It is expected that intensifying collaboration among scientists in LIOS and BMC will be reflected in the competitiveness in attracting funding for both fundamental and applied science research. It will also foster collaboration with industry partners, especially abroad. The new research centre aims to become the Center of Excellence in the field of biomedicine, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals in line within the framework of the Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) in Latvia.
The New Center will continue to develop cooperation with universities by supporting academic education in Latvia and preparing high-level specialists.

Over the next two years, the Scientific Boards and Management Boards of LIOS and BMC will work on establishing the management system of the new centre. The institutes have agreed that during the consolidation process, they do not lose their strengths of management and research organization that have allowed them to become the research institutes they are today. Additionally, the institutes have decided to retain their brand identities – LIOS and BMC. External consultants with practical experience in planning management processes will also be engaged to ensure the successful consolidation process. The necessary funding for the merger process will be secured from the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.