How does an idea become a business, and how can research change healthcare? Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) invites students, researchers, staff, entrepreneurs and other interested visitors to Innovation Day on 5 November 2026. The programme will feature talks, discussions, research project presentations, an expo area and two side events.
The main-stage programme will take place from 9:00 to 15:50 in the RSU Great Hall, Dzirciema iela 16, Riga. Registration and morning coffee will be available from 8:30.
For RSU students, attendance at Innovation Day or either side event qualifies as an excused absence from classes on 5 November, provided the absence has been agreed with their lecturer in advance. Participants who check in using their Luma QR code will receive an electronic certificate of attendance after the event.
The main-stage programme will be held in Latvian with simultaneous interpretation into English. Participation is free, with advance registration required.
Agenda
| 8:30–13:30 | Expo zone RSU lobby. Meet companies and explore technologies |
| 8:30–9:00 | Registration and morning coffee |
| 9:00–9:15 | Opening of Innovation Day Agrita Kiopa, RSU Vice-Rector for Science Agnese Oļševska, Director of the RSU Innovation Centre |
| 9:15–10:00 | From idea to business: inspiration in entrepreneurship Roberts Alhimionoks, Executive Director of the Latvian Startup Association Startin.LV |
| 10:00–10:30 | How not to be afraid of making mistakes? Lauris Vidzis, Founder and Managing Partner of Longevity Catalyst |
| 10:30–11:15 | How to develop an idea into a world-class innovation? Anna Andersone, Head of Riga TechGirls |
| 11:15–11:45 | The LABRAINS startup success story Līga Brūniņa, Founder of LABRAINS |
| 11:45–12:00 | The first steps towards your own business RSU Business Incubator |
| 12:00–12:30 | Sports and business Gints Kuzņecovs, Head of Gfitness and Chair of the Board of the Latvian Health and Fitness Association Ivo Aigars, Student Council Representative at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences |
| 12:30–13:30 | Lunch break and expo zone visit |
| 13:30–13:40 | What will change healthcare in the next 10 years? Haralds Plaudis, RSU Vice-Rector for Studies |
| 13:40–14:00 | Innovation at RSU: research team awards Agrita Kiopa, RSU Vice-Rector for Science Agnese Oļševska, Director of the RSU Innovation Centre |
| 14:00–14:10 | Can a dentist save a patient from a bone fracture? Anda Slaidiņa, OsteoXplore |
| 14:10–14:20 | Can a semen sample replace a biopsy? Marija Lazovska, SPERMFREE |
| 14:20–14:30 | How does microcirculation help assess a patient's condition? Aleksejs Zolotarjovs, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, O3MS |
| 14:30–14:40 | How can sepsis be diagnosed in newborns? Kristaps Kļaviņš, U-TEST |
| 14:40–14:50 | Can urine tests help detect cancer? Zanda Daneberga, LiqBio-BC |
| 14:50–15:00 | What happens when a tumour cannot breathe? Inese Čakstiņa-Dzērve, hip-TNBC |
| 15:00–15:10 | Can a computer help develop better medicines? Agnese Brangule, ModelDrug |
| 15:10–15:20 | Where do stadiums and statistics meet? Signe Luika and Jānis Žīdens, IMR Sports |
| 15:20–15:30 | Can socks prevent injuries? Guna Semjonova, smart textile solutions |
| 15:30–15:50 | Closing and networking |
Main stage
From 9:00 to 12:30, the focus will be on entrepreneurship, developing ideas and finding the confidence to try. Roberts Alhimionoks, Executive Director of the Latvian Startup Association Startin.LV, will share insights into turning ideas into businesses. Lauris Vidzis, Founder and Managing Partner of Longevity Catalyst and an innovation expert, will discuss overcoming the fear of making mistakes. Anna Andersone, Head of Riga TechGirls, will explore how to develop an idea into a world-class innovation, while Līga Brūniņa, Founder of LABRAINS, will share the company's experience. The programme will also cover support for aspiring entrepreneurs and the relationship between sports and business.
From 13:30 to 15:50, the programme will explore science and innovation at RSU. Haralds Plaudis, RSU Vice-Rector for Studies, will open the afternoon with a talk on the future of healthcare. RSU research teams will then be recognised for their contribution to advancing innovation.
Research teams will present projects investigating new approaches to diagnostics, treatment and sport. Could dental 3D images help identify osteoporosis risk? Could urine samples help detect signs of sepsis in newborns or support bladder cancer diagnostics? Presentations will also explore severe male infertility, microcirculation assessment, tumour hypoxia, computational modelling in drug development and smart technologies in sport. The afternoon will conclude with closing remarks and networking from 15:30 to 15:50.
Expo area
From 8:30 to 13:30 in the RSU lobby, visitors can explore the solutions on display, meet their developers and ask questions. The expo area will complement the stage programme with opportunities to take a closer look at technologies and discuss their path towards practical use.
PINK pre-incubation programme Demo Day
13:30–15:30
RSU Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre, event area, Konsula iela 21, Riga
Participants and teams from the RSU Business Incubator's PINK pre-incubation programme will present the business ideas they have developed during the programme. Everyone is welcome to listen, discover emerging solutions and support the teams. The event will conclude with the presentation of programme completion certificates and a celebration of the participants' achievements.
The Demo Day will be held in English.
Practical workshop “AI in Sport”
13:30–16:30
RSU Pharmaceutical Education and Research Centre, room 103, Konsula iela 21, Riga
In the Start NIH / StudentLab workshop “AI in Sport: From Data to an Interactive Dashboard”, students will use Google AI Studio and Gemini to turn sports performance test data into an interactive digital tool. Participants will practise writing instructions for AI, evaluating its proposed solutions and improving the results.
The workshop is designed for students with no prior programming or AI knowledge and will be held in English. Places are limited. Please bring your own laptop and charger.
Attendance and certificates
Please register in advance through Luma and select the event you wish to attend. On arrival at your chosen event, present the QR code issued by Luma so that the organisers can register your attendance. Certificates of attendance will be sent electronically after the event to participants who have checked in.
Under the Rector's order, participation in Innovation Day or either side event qualifies RSU students for an excused absence from classes on 5 November, provided their absence has been agreed with their lecturer in advance. This also applies to students attending only the Demo Day or the “AI in Sport” workshop.
Location
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rsu[pnkts]lv (rsu[at]rsu[dot]lv).
As Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is a public institution you could be photographed and/or filmed during the event. Your personal data might be used to further the interests of RSU, e.g. for marketing or communication activities (incl. social media coverage). Read more about your rights see the RSU Privacy Policy. Should you have any objections to your personal data being processed please inform us via e-mail at rsursu[pnkts]lv (rsu[at]rsu[dot]lv)
