On 24 November, the first BioPhoT - Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for Innovative Products conference “BioPhoT - Latvia's Innovation Springboard” will bring together representatives from the biomedical and photonics industry, science policy makers, researchers and entrepreneurs. The aim of the event is to present the first 40 innovation projects funded by the platform, demonstrate their international potential and create a dialogue on the importance of collaboration between science and business.
“The BioPhoT platform aims to create an environment where science and industry work side by side to create new products with high added value. “BioPhoT is not just a project - it is a reform that helps Latvia's scientific ideas become products with a real impact on people's lives and the country's economy. We are creating an environment where researchers and entrepreneurs come together to create exportable innovations with sustainable value. The BioPhoT - Latvian Innovation Springboard conference is one of the first steps towards Latvian innovation becoming part of global technology and healthcare solutions,” says Osvalds Pugovičs, Platform Manager.
The conference will be an opportunity to learn about the first 40 research and innovation projects that have received funding from the BioPhoT platform. These include diagnostics for sepsis, cancer and infections, new sensors and medical devices, fibre-optic solutions, luminescent coatings, infrared spectroscopy technologies, innovative biomaterials and composites, environmental and energy innovations and more.
The conference will take place at the Science Innovation Centre of Riga Technical University, Moon Hall, from 9.00 to 13.30. Registration:
- in person: https://luma.com/nekvft5h
- online on Zoom: https://ej.uz/biophotinovacijutramplins2025
The conference will be held in English and is free to attend.
Conference programme
The event will be opened by the Rector of Riga Technical University Prof. Tālis Juhna, Director of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis Dace Kārkle, as well as Senior Expert of the Business Competitiveness Department of the Ministry of Economics Egija Aurēlija Liepiņa. The signing of the cooperation agreement between Latvenergo AS and RTU on the implementation of the industrial professor project will be followed by a report by the BioPhoT platform manager O. Pugovičs on the platform's activities so far and future plans.
The special guest of the conference will be Dr. Scott Dax (Dr Scott L. Dax), former Chief Scientific Officer of CerSci Therapeutics, who will talk about the role of innovation Build-to-Buy strategy in biotechnology and the company's successful market entry.
Latvian companies will also share their experience: success stories from Groglass, one of the world's leading museum glass manufacturers, represented by researcher Guntis Mārciņš, Head of Research and Development, and Cellbox Labs, a start-up developing microfluidics-based solutions for cell biotechnology, will be presented at the conference. It will be represented by its founder and CEO Gatis Mozoļevskis.
Participants will have the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Raimonds Lapiņš, Director General of the Central Statistical Office (CSO), entitled “CSO - a source of valuable data - opportunities and challenges”, which will show how data can become a resource for the development of new products and services. Normunds Bergs, President of the Latvian Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry Association (LETERA), will report on “how to talk to an eel with a vacuum cleaner”. Vitālijs Skrīvelis, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Chemical and Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs Association (LACCEA), will stimulate a conversation on the interaction between industry and academia in biomedicine.
The panel discussion “From academia to commercial value - key aspects, challenges and the importance of wisely chosen support instruments” will be attended by Normunds Bergs, President of LETERA, Vitālijs Skrīvelis, Chairman of the Board of LAĶĪFA, Egija Aurēlija Liepiņa, expert of the Ministry of Economics, Lauma Muižniece, Director of the Latvian Science Council, Gatis Mozoļevskis, CEO of Cellbox Labs and Osvalds Pugovičs, CEO of BioPhoT. The discussion will be moderated by Andris Anspoks.
About BioPhoT“
“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. Platform number: IVPP-EM-Innovation-2024/1-0002.
