On May 15 of this year, from 14:00 to 15:00, within the framework of the conference “Deep Tech Atelier 2026”, the official opening of the Swiss–Latvian digital centre in the field of smart energy will take place at the conference centre “Fantadroms” (Gustava Zemgala gatve 76, Riga). The centre has been established to strengthen long-term cooperation between research, innovation companies and industry in Latvia and Switzerland.
The digital centre operates as a permanent cooperation platform, in which scientific competence is purposefully linked with the needs of the industry, promoting the transfer of research results into practice and the development of joint solutions in the field of smart energy and related technologies.
“The Swiss–Latvian digital centre is an action-based cooperation platform that helps research ideas find the right partners and the path to practical implementation. It brings together the scientific competence of Latvia and Switzerland with the needs of the industry, promoting the development of joint initiatives in the field of smart energy also after the completion of the “LACISE” project,” emphasizes Gints Kučinskis, leading researcher at the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia, head of the Energy Materials Laboratory and coordinator of the “LACISE” project.
The centre is part of the “LACISE” project, which is implemented within the framework of the Swiss–Latvian cooperation programme “Partnership in Applied Research”. Its flexible, virtual format ensures continuous cooperation between researchers, companies and participants of the innovation ecosystem in both countries, using thematic online seminars, expert discussions, partner matchmaking sessions and industry-focused events.
A significant role in the digital centre is also envisaged for cooperation with startups, especially those operating in the field of energy deep tech.
“The digital centre creates an environment where energy startups such as “ProtiumTech”, which develops innovative green hydrogen production technologies, can much more quickly find research and industry partners. Such structured international cooperation helps to focus on real applications and joint development projects,” notes the CEO of “ProtiumTech”, Alens Martīni.
In the conditions of rapid geopolitical changes and energy transformation, the Digital centre provides a practical contribution to strengthening Latvia’s innovation capacity and energy resilience, while at the same time deepening cooperation with Switzerland in a strategically important sector.
Media representatives are kindly invited to attend the opening event!
Dalība ir bez maksas, taču nepieciešama iepriekšēja reģistrācija “Deep Tech Atelier” vietnē: https://deeptechatelier.com/
Participation is free of charge, but prior registration is required on the “Deep Tech Atelier” website: https://deeptechatelier.com/
More information about the Digital centre: https://www.lacise.com/digitalais-centrs/āka informācija par Digitālo centru: https://www.lacise.com/digitalais-centrs/
About the “LACISE” project
The “LACISE” project is supported by the Swiss programme “Swiss Contribution” to reduce economic and social disparities in the EU. The “LACISE” project is implemented within the framework of the Swiss–Latvian cooperation programme “Partnership in Applied Research” in accordance with grant agreement No. LZP/LV-CH-RESEARCH/PC2. The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Latvian Council of Science. The total funding of the programme is 12,352,941 euros, of which the Swiss co-financing is 85% or 10,500,000 euros and the co-financing from the Latvian state budget is 15% or 1,852,941.
The “LACISE” project in the fields of Information and Communication Technologies and smart energy is implemented by the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia in cooperation with the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, Riga Technical University, the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland), the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), and the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (Switzerland). More information: www.lacise.com
