Looking Back at 2025: Key Highlights of the Latvian Biobank Network BBMRI Latvia

As we conclude 2025, we reflect on the most significant developments within the Latvian Biobank Network BBMRI Latvia.

2025 has been an eventful year, during which BBMRI.LV has achieved the following:

• Representatives of the Latvian Biobank Network participated in the annual BBMRI-ERIC Biobank Week, held in Bologna, Italy, from 11–16 May.
• Within the framework of the PMNET Forum, the BBMRI-ERIC Director General, Jens Habermann, visited Latvia. During the visit, he took part in a conference session, met with representatives of the Latvian Biobank Network, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and also visited the State Population Genome Database biobank, hosted by the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre.
• This year, Children’s Clinical University Hospital signed the BBMRI-ERIC Partnership Charter and joined the Latvian Biobank Network as a full partner organisation.
• The Biobank Law draft passed its first reading in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima), and amendments are currently being prepared for the second reading.
• Representatives of the Latvian Biobank Network actively contributed to the implementation of BBMRI-ERIC projects, including CanServ, PERIFORMANCE, TRUSTParency, and others.
• BBMRI Latvia representatives provided knowledge transfer and consultancy to other biobank-developing institutions in Latvia, including RAKUS, BKUS, and others.
• BBMRI Latvia engaged in public education and outreach through guided tours and informational events, including participation in Researchers’ Night activities.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Latvian Biobank Network will continue its activities by:

• Working closely with biobanks across Latvia to enable fuller use of BBMRI-ERIC resources and stronger integration into BBMRI-ERIC activities;
• Raising public awareness and understanding of the importance of biobanks in scientific research and innovation in Latvia.

The Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre are the coordinator of the BBMRI-Latvia national biobank network, which implements the BBMRI-ERIC Latvian National Partnership Plan. This activity contributes to the achievement of performance indicators within Project No. 1.1.1.5/3/24/I/006, “Development of Latvia’s research potential by strengthening the integration of the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre into European infrastructures and scientific networks”, co-financed by the European Union.