“BioPhoT – Latvia’s Innovation Springboard”: Conference Invites to Discover Emerging Innovations in Latvia

The event will bring together representatives of the biomedical and photonics industries, science policymakers, and the research community to introduce innovation projects launched in Latvia and the platform’s future plans. It will also offer insights into a range of international success stories and encourage expert discussions on the broader importance of innovation development.

Free participation with prior registration

Speakers will include representatives of international and Latvian companies whose scientific ideas have already evolved into commercial products or have helped foreign partners implement innovations through collaboration with Latvian researchers.

A panel discussion titled “From Academia to Commercial Value – Key Aspects, Challenges, and the Importance of Well-Designed Support Instruments” will highlight the need for a national platform to advance science and translate research results into practical applications.

The keynote guest of the conference will be Scott L. Dax, former Chief Scientific Officer of CerSci Therapeutics, who will share insights on how innovation drives the Build-to-Buy strategy in biotechnology. Latvian success stories will be presented by SIA Groglass, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of artglass, and SIA Cellbox Labs, a company developing new solutions in cell biotechnology using innovative microfluidics technologies.

Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the first 40 BioPhoT-funded research and innovation projects (PIPs), including several approved for BioPhoT funding and led by Rīga Stradiņš University, focusing on innovative approaches to sepsis and cancer diagnostics, as well as methods for evaluating microcirculation in the sublingual and gastric mucosa. The best posters in the categories “Biomedicine” and “Photonics” will receive BioPhoT Awards.

The event will also feature a report by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) titled “CSB – A Valuable Data Source: Opportunities and Challenges”, demonstrating how data can serve as a resource for developing new products and services.

Additionally, the conference will include the signing of a cooperation agreement between Latvenergo and RTU to implement an industrial professor project. Presentations are also expected from 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.