On 8 October 2026, Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) joined Latvia’s National Biobank Network, BBMRI.LV, by signing an agreement with the National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI). The aim of the cooperation is to strengthen Latvia’s biobank network, improve access to research resources, and expand Latvia’s participation in international research projects.
Latvia has been a full member of the European research infrastructure for biobanking, BBMRI-ERIC, since 2016. The Latvian national biobank network already includes biobanks represented by NIRI, the University of Latvia, and Rīga Stradiņš University. Last year, the Children’s Clinical University Hospital biobank also joined the network. RAKUS’s participation marks an important step in the network’s further development, broadening the range of clinical partners and expanding research opportunities in Latvia.
“This year, the Biobank Law was adopted, and we have developed a strategy for the development of Latvia’s biobank network over the next ten years. We are very pleased that a strong clinical partner, RAKUS, is joining the network this year. We see extensive opportunities for cooperation — together, we can only grow stronger. We look forward to a successful partnership and encourage other hospitals to join Latvia’s biobank network as well,” says Vita Rovīte, Senior Researcher and Group Leader of the Molecular and Functional Genomics Research Group at the National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI).
The BBMRI.LV national node aims to strengthen Latvia’s biobank and biological material collection resources, ensuring their availability to researchers in Latvia and to international collaborative projects. Information exchange between network members, the development of quality management and information technology solutions, the enhancement of researchers’ skills and expertise, and the involvement of Latvian biobanks in international research initiatives are also key priorities.
RAKUS’s participation in BBMRI.LV will open up new opportunities to harness the potential of clinical data and biological material resources for research. It will foster cooperation with scientists in Latvia and abroad and help strengthen research infrastructure for the study and improvement of public health.
The agreement on joining Latvia’s National Biobank Network, BBMRI.LV, was signed by Dace Kārkle, Acting Director of NIRI, and Vadims Beļuns, Chair of the RAKUS Board, during the PMNET Forum at the National Library of Latvia.
The agreement reflects NIRI’s and RAKUS’s shared commitment to developing Latvia’s biobank network, promoting international cooperation, and strengthening research resources so that scientific discoveries can make an increasingly significant contribution to the advancement of healthcare and public health.
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.
