Latvian biotech company Aitomic is among the companies that have successfully taken advantage of the innovation voucher programme offerd by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) to further the development of innovative solutions for diagnosing cancer.
Thanks to the programme, Aitomic, in collaboration with the Institute of Chemical Physics and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Latvia, developed a new methodology for preparing biopsy samples for lung cancer using atomic force microscopy and artificial intelligence. As Andris Liepiņš, spokesperson for the company, points out, this was an important step to further development:
"After the successful implementation of the LIAA voucher programme project, we were able to move to the next stage – research with actual cancer patients. We found out that with the help of artificial intelligence, it is possible to differentiate between different types and stages of cancer based on microscopy data."
These results served as the basis for an even larger research project, which Aitomic submitted and launched under the Applied Research Support Programme. The new project will employ seven highly qualified scientists and several IT engineers over the next three years.
The company welcomes the cooperation with LIAA: "We see the process as relatively simple – yes, there are bureaucratic conditions to be met, but nothing is impossible. As a support tool for innovation, it certainly helped."
The innovation voucher programme is a valuable stepping stone for companies looking to develop new products or technologies in collaboration with research organisations. For more information about the innovation voucher programme, visit the website.
