Latvia takes step closer to full ELIXIR membership: emerging Latvian node presented in Prague

On 12-13 May 2026, the ELIXIR Heads of Nodes Committee meeting took place in Prague, Czech Republic, where the emerging Latvian ELIXIR node was presented for the first time following Latvia’s acquisition of observer country status. The meeting brought together leaders of Europe’s national bioinformatics infrastructures and serves as an important platform for Latvia’s integration into the European life sciences data ecosystem.

ELIXIR is one of Europe’s most significant federated research infrastructures in the field of life science data, coordinating data resources, software tools, computing infrastructure, training, and expertise across Europe. The organisation operates through a federated model in which each member country develops its own national node - a network of institutions providing data, services, infrastructure, and expertise in bioinformatics and life sciences.

This year’s meeting held particular significance for Latvia. On 15 April 2026, during the 25th ELIXIR Council meeting at the Wellcome Genome Campus in the United Kingdom, Latvia was granted ELIXIR observer status, marking an important step towards full membership in the European bioinformatics infrastructure. In Prague, Latvia participated alongside Slovakia, Croatia, Malta, Poland, and Romania in a dedicated session presenting the development plans of emerging ELIXIR nodes and national bioinformatics initiatives. Latvia was invited to present its emerging node, highlighting its main areas of activity, infrastructure capacity, and planned contributions to the wider ELIXIR ecosystem.

Professor Baiba Vilne of Rīga Stradiņš University, the future Head of the Latvian ELIXIR node, presented an overview of Latvia’s bioinformatics landscape and collaborative model. The Latvian ELIXIR node is being established as a national consortium coordinated by Rīga Stradiņš University in cooperation with the University of Latvia, the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, and the Children’s Clinical University Hospital.

All participating institutions have already signed the national memorandum of understanding on participation in the ELIXIR consortium. Additional partners are expected to join in the near future, creating a broad collaborative network across four strategic areas:

• health data and omics;
• artificial intelligence, modelling, and drug development;
• One Health and environmental research;
• computing and bioinformatics methods.

A major focus of the meeting agenda was ELIXIR’s future strategic priorities, including the European Open Science Cloud, the European Health Data Space, federated genomics infrastructure, artificial intelligence strategies, and the next priorities of the Horizon Europe programme. These priorities closely align with Latvia’s long-term goals and planned contributions within ELIXIR.

Latvia’s integration into ELIXIR is also supported through the Rīga Stradiņš University project RSU Participation in the Horizon Europe Programme (Project No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/014), launched on 1 June 2025. The project implements Latvia’s national partnership and action plan within the framework of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and European Research Infrastructure Consortiums (ERIC), including support for Latvia’s integration into ELIXIR.

The acquisition of observer country status and the presentation of the Latvian node at the ELIXIR Heads of Nodes Committee meeting demonstrate the development of Latvia’s bioinformatics community and its readiness to engage in European-level collaboration in life science data, research, and innovation.