The first BioPhoT - Latvian Innovation Launchpad conference brought together a wide range of stakeholders - almost 200 participants met to discuss science-industry collaboration, showcase the results of the first year of the platform and chart the way forward for efficient commercialisation of scientific results. The conference took place on 24 November at the Science and Innovation Centre of Riga Technical University (RTU).
Osvads Pugovičs, BioPhoT Platform Manager, opened the event: “We have created a platform that allows scientists and industry to meet and speak the same language. BioPhoT covers biomedicine, photonics, smart materials and engineered systems, creating the cross-sectoral interactions needed for high-impact innovation."
He highlighted the rapid growth of the programme and the activity of the researchers: 124 project applications were received in the first call, of which 40 are already underway, and 99 are in the second round.
”This activity sends us two important signals: there are strong, interdisciplinary research groups in Latvia ready to create marketable technologies, and scientists are becoming more actively involved in intellectual property, commercialisation and entrepreneurship processes, taking the risks that this entails,“ Pugovičs said.
The conference also clearly highlighted the support for the development of the programme.
“It is important for us that innovation support tools meet real needs, and we therefore value the dialogue between stakeholders to jointly develop a vision for an efficient, sustainable and growth-enhancing innovation ecosystem. The practical implementation of scientific results is an essential prerequisite for the competitiveness of the Latvian economy at the global level,” said Senior Expert of Entrepreneurship Competitiveness Department of the Ministry of Economics Egija Aurēlija Liepiņa.
RTU Rector Professor Tālis Juhna pointed out that BioPhoT is not an isolated initiative, but an innovation capacity development tool of national significance, helping to bridge the science-industry “valley of death” by connecting the two hemispheres of the ecosystem. Dace Kārkle, Chair of the BioPhoT Steering Group and Director of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis noted the significant progress in the Consortium's internal collaboration, underlining that scientists are becoming more confident in presenting their ideas to industry, adapting them to market needs and thinking in terms of commercialisation - a development that significantly strengthens the quality of technology transfer.
“BioPhoT has become an important manifestation of the synergy between science and industry in Latvia. The results of the first year clearly show that the country has the scientific potential, the infrastructure and the ambition to create technologies with global impact. The programme is fostering a cultural transformation in which researchers, entrepreneurs and government institutions work as a system, and this collaboration will result in new technologies, new companies, new markets and a solid foundation for Latvia's sustainable growth,” said D. Kārkle.
The BioPhoT platform's strategic objectives include the creation of 35 new technologies by 2032, 23 of them developed to TRL 5-6, and at least four products in the commercialisation phase. The Platform promotes the efficient sharing of scientific infrastructure and the systematic strengthening of scientists' commercialisation competencies.
During the conference, an agreement was signed between RTU and Latvenergo AS on the establishment of an industrial professorship, marking a new model of cooperation between science and industry. The Industrial Professorship will integrate industry expertise into university research and studies, create high added value projects in smart energy and green technologies, accelerate the translation of laboratory solutions into practical industry products and strengthen Latvia's competitiveness in meeting the objectives of the European Green Deal.
The BioPhoT Industry Challenge provides an important launchpad for collaboration between scientists and industry. Industry Challenge database, which already contains 18 specific industry challenges from companies such as GSK, Cellbox Labs, Veolia, ABB and others. This database serves as a guide for researchers, allowing them to identify real market needs and position their solutions accurately. At the same time, BioPhoT has become Latvia's representative in the EU's Innovate Together initiative, expanding local researchers' access to the European Technology Transfer Network.
The international dimension of the conference was reinforced by several guest speakers.Dr Scott L. Dax, known as one of the architects of biotech innovation, shared his experience on the development cycle of pharmaceutical molecules, attracting investors and the successful sale of CersciTherapeutics in 2020. He stressed the critical importance of early industry involvement and a clear IP strategy. Guntis Mārciņš from Groglass, one of the world's leading museum glass manufacturers, demonstrated Latvia's ability to create globally competitive products and highlighted the importance of market validation, while Gatis Mozoļevskis from Cellbox Labs presented the latest solutions in immobilised organ technology. He stressed that successful commercialisation requires a clear definition of who exactly the technology will help.
Raimonds Lapiņš, Director General of the Central Statistical Office, presented the Secure Data Access initiative, which will allow researchers to analyse cross-sectoral data to the highest security standards. This environment is essential for interpreting medical data, forecasting energy consumption, optimising transport logistics and making public administration more efficient.
In their speeches, Normunds Bergs, President of the Latvian Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry Association, and Vitālijs Skrīvelis, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Chemical and Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs Association, agreed that Latvia needs much closer, structured and long-term cooperation between researchers and companies, including hospitals, as well as substantially increased and well-targeted investment and coordinated public policies.
The ensuing expert discussion highlighted a number of important steps for the development of Latvian science - the need to promote internships for academics in industry, accelerate prototype development, ensure systematic industry feedback to BioPhoT projects, strengthen intellectual property management and integrate commercialisation strategies from the early stages of a project. E. A. Liepiņa highlighted BioPhoT's unique contribution to the early phases of TRL, where access to finance is traditionally most limited.
During the conference, the first 40 projects that have already started to implement their ideas were presented. The four winners of the poster competition were awarded at the end of the event:
- In the photonics category, Aleksejs Zolotarjovs won with his research on infrared spectroscopy for the detection of PFAS in aqueous media (“IR-sense – Infrared Spectroscopy for In-Situ Detection of PFAS in Aquatic Environments Using a Submersible Sensing Platform”);
- In the biomedical category - Kristaps Kļaviņš with the SwyCard solution for biomarker detection (“Sweat-based Monitoring and Assessment of Relevant Clinical Biomarkers”);
- The hybrid project award went to Jānis Spīgulis with the ENDOLASE white laser endoscopy system (“White Laser Endoscopy System (ENDOLASE)”);
- The visitor's choice award went to Līga Kunrade for her aptamer-based device for rapid malaria detection (”Smart Diagnostics: An Aptamer-Based Device for Rapid Malaria Detection").
The BioPhoT platform has already announced its next major event - Industry Day 2026, which will take place on 26 January at the University of Latvia and will become a platform for presenting the first significant results and highlighting new industry challenges. As Pugovičs pointed out, this will be an opportunity for academic partners to critically assess the extent to which their ideas meet industry needs, as such interaction is crucial for the economic and social value creation of science. Both researchers and industry are invited to register for the event; free registration - https://biophot.lv/event/biophot-industrijas-diena-2026/
Photo gallery of the event is available on the platform's website.
“BioPhoT is implemented by the Latvian Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, the University of Latvia, the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, the Scientific Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR", Riga Stradins University and Riga Technical University under the leadership of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis.
The project "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for Innovative Products" or "BioPhoT" is implemented under the long-term national research programme "Innovation Fund - Long-term Research Programme" funded by the Ministry of Economics. Project number: IVPP-EM-Innovation-2024/1-0002.
