Please note that the English version of this text has been prepared with the assistance of AI, and in some instances, it may not have been subsequently reviewed or edited by the authors.
On September 2 at 12:00 at the Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel, Elizabetes iela 73, Riga, the final event of the BioPhoT project POLYCLAY-UV, titled From Espresso to SPF: The Second Life of Coffee and Tea By-Products in Cosmetics, will take place. The event will bring together representatives from science, the beverage industry, the cosmetics industry, and sustainable innovation to discuss the project's results and how everyday by-products can be transformed into valuable raw materials and used in the development of new, sustainable products.
To attend the event, interested parties are invited to beforehand Sign up.
Event program
in the research project of scientists from the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) “POLYCLAY-UV” (Multifunctional polyphenol-clay composite material for natural UV protection and skin health) Opportunities to use polyphenols found in coffee and tea by-products for the development of new UV protection solutions are being researched. At the event, there will be an opportunity to learn more about the project idea and results achieved so far, as well as how a science-based idea can become the basis for a practical solution. The project concept and results will be presented by the scientific leader of the “POLYCLAY-UV” project, LBTU Associate Professor Rūta Ozola-Davidāne, as well as researcher and doctoral student Aiga Mazurenko.
At the “BioPhoT” event, the platform will be represented by its head, Osvalds Pugovičs, while business development and innovation expert Kaija Kurme-Jansone and PhD in food science and coffee researcher Ilze Laukalēja-Broka will also share their insights. They will share their knowledge on how to build cooperation between researchers, entrepreneurs, and representatives of various industries, how to better understand the needs of the industry and consumers, and what is necessary for a scientific idea to reach a market-ready product.
Special attention at the event will be paid to the potential of by-products from the beverage industry. The panel discussion “When the beverage industry becomes a source of innovation” will seek an answer to the question of what remains after coffee or kombucha production – waste or an as-yet-untapped resource? Representatives of the beverage industry will share their experience on the use of by-products, the circular economy, and opportunities to build new cross-sectoral collaborations. The discussion will be moderated by Ilze Laukalēja-Broka, and will feature Ancis Romanovskis from “Rocket Bean”, Edgars Elbergs from “Rudy’s Kombucha”, and Mārtiņš Eihmanis from “Virši”.
Meanwhile, the panel discussion “What Makes an Idea Ready for the Market?” will feature a conversation on what is required for a laboratory-created material or technology to become a real and market-demanded product. The focus of the conversation will be on product development, sustainability, industry needs, consumer expectations, and the challenges on the path from research to the market. The discussion will be moderated by Mārtiņš Boroduškis and will feature Gunta Šulte from “MÁDARA Cosmetics”, Māris Būmanis from JSC “Latvijas Finieris”, Anna Ramata-Stunda from “Alternative Plants”, and Gundars Skudriņš from the Institute for Environmental Solutions.
At the end of the event, informal networking is planned, which will provide an opportunity to meet researchers and representatives from various fields, exchange ideas, and build new collaborations.
