Riga Technical University (RTU) and AS Latvenergo will implement the first industrial professorship project in Latvia. An international open competition will be held to attract a professor who, with the company’s support, will research opportunities for developing green fuels.
Upon agreeing to a strategic partnership, RTU and Latvenergo signed a cooperation agreement to implement the industrial professorship project. The agreement provides for an international selection process for the professorship candidate. A two-year contract will be concluded with the winner, with the possibility of an additional four-year extension, depending on the evaluation of the project results. The professor will conduct research at the RTU Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technologies, addressing current industry needs and developing a new research direction.
Latvenergo will use insights gained through academic and research activities in its operations, while RTU will integrate practical industry experience into its study and research processes.
The industrial professor will primarily investigate the development trends and consumption forecasts of green fuels (synthetic aviation fuel derived from renewable energy — e-SAF, green methanol, and e-ammonia) to assess the competitiveness of Latvia and the Baltic region and identify key limiting factors. Considering that e-ammonia is easy to transport and its only limited raw materials are electricity and water, it is essential to determine whether Latvia and the Baltic states can be fundamentally competitive in its production. For green methanol and e-SAF, an assessment of the availability of biogenic CO₂, its sources, and the economic considerations for its use is required.
Chairman of the Management Board of AS Latvenergo Mārtinš Čakste notes: "Our long-standing cooperation with Latvian higher education institutions is now entering a new, very pragmatic and applied phase, as this project forms a direct bridge from theory and research to commercially applicable results. The winner of our competition will bear great responsibility and have significant opportunities to contribute to a breakthrough in Latvia’s energy sector and, consequently, to the national economy as a whole. I am proud that we are the pioneers and guides on this exciting path for other public and private sector companies that care about the sustainable development of their industries and the country. November may be drawing to a close, but the spirit of patriotism and modern growth continues to drive the minds of engineers and academics!"
RTU Rector Tālis Juhna emphasises: "Latvia’s growth depends on the ability to transform its economy into one based on knowledge and technology. Investment in research and development in Latvia remains low, which is why strategic cooperation with one of the most important companies in the national economy will create added value for both industry and the university — and this is vitally important."
For the university, the partnership will help strengthen scientific capacity and international visibility, increase doctoral students’ and students’ involvement in innovation processes, and attract additional research funding. For the company, it ensures access to high-level academic and scientific expertise, supports the development of important research projects, and provides opportunities for collaboration in the creation of new technologies and innovations.
In 2019, RTU became the first university in Latvia to introduce the Industrial Doctoral Programme, in which doctoral students — with the support of companies — produce dissertations on topics essential to business development. The industrial professorship initiative is the next step forward.
The strategic cooperation agreement was signed during the first conference of the Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for the Creation of Innovative Products (BioPhoT), titled “BioPhoT — Latvia’s Innovation Launchpad.” The platform is the most ambitious initiative to date for commercialising research results in Latvia and advancing knowledge-intensive, high-value technologies to the market. It aims to develop new technologies and innovative ideas with commercial potential across biomedicine, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, photonics, creative materials, and engineering systems. The platform is formed by a consortium of science universities and leading research institutes, headed by the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, within the Ministry of Economics–funded long-term national research programme “Innovation Fund — Long-Term Research Programme.” Platform number: IVPP-EM-Inovācija-2024/1-0002.
