Category: Event

On 26 May, the Riga Technical University Science and Innovation Centre hosted the industry panel presentations of the projects submitted for the first BioPhoT call. Over three days, more than a hundred project representatives will stand in front of industry experts to present more about their innovations and answer questions.

The first BioPhoT call for Research and Innovation Projects (RIPs) received more than 120 RIP applications: scientists and industry from the biomedical, medical technology, pharmaceutical, photonics, smart materials and engineering areas of the Smart Specialisation Strategy or RIS3 had the opportunity to apply for a share of the total €6 million national funding. In the first round, which runs from 26-28 May, an independent panel of experts analyses the innovative potential and market relevance of the ideas submitted.

"The projects submitted, and of course the presentations, cover a wide range of topics. Overall, I would say that what we see here is in line with what the mentors and the organisers of the presentations expected - namely that the guidance given to the applicants has been valuable and has been taken into account. Let's see how the experts judge it!" on the first day of the presentations Osvalds Pugovičs, BioPhoT Platform Manager said.

The first round of RIP applications is evaluated by five industry and commercialisation experts: Irit Janiva, M.D., MBA, healthcare business executive, investor and entrepreneur, Matīss Neimanis, Managing Partner and CEO of Buildit Latvia, a venture capital fund and accelerator, Barak Azmon, doctor and founder and CEO of several medical start-ups, Peter Birk, life sciences executive, investor and advisor, and Martin Askne, startup coach, innovation manager and business angel. Project presentations are moderated by Andris Baumanis.

"This is the first round of project selection, which will be followed by a second, more in-depth evaluation. Based on this short period of time alone, it is not yet possible to make a very concrete and unambiguous assessment of the projects. Overall, there have been a few projects that are a little unconvincing, but of course there are also very good applications. Our panel of experts is a complete team to evaluate projects, as each of us is experienced and specialised in our respective fields - usually the more you know about a subject, the more aspects and problems you can spot," said the panel members at the end of the first day.

The competition offers up to €200 000 per approved project, with a 12-month implementation period, extendable by three months. In the second round of applications, experts selected by the Latvian Science Council will carry out scientific expertise and the results are expected in October this year.

On 14 May, Riga Technical University Science and Innovation Centre hosted one of the Deep Tech Atelier 2025 events - "Research Translation: Deep Tech & Lab Open Doors". The event was organized by EIT Community Hub in Latvia in partnership with Biocatalyst Foundation and BioPhoT platform partners, bringing together researchers, start-up founders, innovation ecosystem representatives and investors.

During the event, the BoPhoT platform was highlighted as an example of best practice in targeted collaboration between research and industry. Anna Stikāne from the platform presented the support available - funding opportunities, mentoring network and practical tools to help researchers develop their ideas, build solutions for industry and get to the commercialisation stage. Some of the bravest BioPhoT candidates had the opportunity to try their hand at presenting their idea and received valuable feedback from the event participants.

Guest speaker Haim Piratinskiy (FESTO, Germany) shared his experience on the most common reasons why early stage science-intensive technologies (deep tech) teams fail to reach the market. Jakub Jasiczak, CEO of the Polish Association for University Technology Transfer, also took part in the discussion, analysing together the strengths and weaknesses of the ecosystem.

After the main programme, the participants went on excursions to the Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence (BBCE), led by Professor Jānis Ločs, and to the Aeronautics Research Laboratory of Riga Technical University, Space Engineering laboratory (headed by Viktors Gutakovskis) and SkyLab/Design Factory (hosted by Elīna Miķelsone), where they had the opportunity to get to know the research and innovation infrastructure first-hand, as well as to strengthen mutual contacts for future cooperation in an informal atmosphere.

Photos from the event see in the photo gallery.

On 21 May, Scott Dax, PhD in Chemistry (USA), presented his biotechnology commercialisation experience at the Organic Synthesis Institute (OSI). He is an expert in the discovery and development of new drugs with more than 25 years of experience in drug development and commercialisation of ideas.

The lecture took place at a time when BioPhoT participants are preparing to present their ideas to a panel of experts who will assess both the market potential of the scientists' ideas and the ability of the author to present a convincing solution.

Sharing his professional experience in drug development, Scott Dax went through each step of this complex process and gave practical advice on what data sets are needed at each stage of development and how scientists can present their idea to attract the interest of investors and big pharma companies.

Scott Dax imaginatively compared a scientist who wants to sell his drug to the big players to an astronaut seeking funding for three expeditions to the Moon, not knowing for sure whether any of them will be successful. With this analogy, he drew attention to the cost of developing a single drug and the likelihood of it reaching the shelves of pharmacies. The cost of developing a single medicine through each phase of testing ranges from several hundred million to several billion euros. The process can take up to 20 years. The stakes are therefore very high for chemists and biologists to get market players interested.

Scott Dax stressed that one of the cornerstones for the success of any research project is the development of a team - a broad, interdisciplinary team, including financiers, lawyers and other specialists where appropriate. He also stressed the importance of anticipating mistakes early and having a plan in place to deal with them. Another universal recommendation is that scientists should have frequent and extensive dialogue with the potential end-user of the product when developing their project. In the case of Scott Dax, he spoke frequently with the patients for whom his team was developing drugs. "Be open to uncomfortable questions - being able to take them on board and deal with them will be the key to your strength," says Scott Dax.

The speaker pointed out that when preparing to pitch your scientific idea to investors, it is important to think about the way and the language in which to talk to business players. For this audience, it is crucial to hear that a scientist's idea not only solves a pressing problem, but that the solution will be profitable. Scott Dax summed up his talk by saying, "Remember, investors' desire to make money is always greater than their fear of losing money!"

Dr Scott Dax Areas of activity include organic chemistry, drug discovery, pharmacology, manufacturing technology and intellectual property protection. He currently heads DRx Pharma Consulting & Services. Clients include pharmaceutical companies, accelerators and incubators, venture capitalists, non-profit organisations, contract research companies, start-ups and legal service providers. Scott Dax has secured over USD 100 million in investments to date.

On 15 and 16 May, Riga will host the largest deep tech event in the Baltics Deep Tech Atelier 2025, a two-day event bringing together entrepreneurs, scientists, investors and industry leaders, with presentations by internationally renowned experts, idea presentations (pitch sessions), hands-on workshops and an exhibition with the latest technological solutions. The BioPhoT platform partners are also especially inviting everyone to a number of events during the festival.

Deep Tech Atelier 2025 key topics will include artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, defence and space, as well as future developments and funding opportunities. The event will include B2B zone, networking events and ample opportunities to make new contacts. The festival will host a series of discussions, presentations and panel discussions that will be of value to anyone looking to collaborate and develop new technologies. The Expo or exhibition area will provide an opportunity to explore practical deep technology solutions in MI, space, defence and other fields, including the work of BioPhoT partners.

On 14 May, just in time for Deep Tech Atelier 2025, the European Institute of Technology (EIT) will host a conference organised at the Riga Technical University (RTU) Science and Innovation Centre at Kipsalas iela 6A from 16.00 "Commercialising Research: Deep Tech and Open Labs". The event aims to strengthen the link between science and business, while fostering the development of the next generation of deep tech leaders. The BioPhoT platform will be presented at the event as an example of successful collaboration between science and industry. The event is free to attend, but places are limited, so pre-registration. The language of the event is English.

On 15 May at 15.30, lectureScaling science into impact: the role of research platforms and public-private partnership) by Uppsala University Professor Anders Karlén will take place on the festivals' Deep Tech Stage. His research focuses on the identification of starting materials and the development of potential drugs for antimicrobial drug discovery. Between 2014 and 2021, prof. Karlén was Head of Unit and co-coordinator of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) project ENABLE. He is currently the coordinator of the national project ENABLE-2, the follow-up to ENABLE. Since 2019, he is leading the six-year IMI-2 project COMBINE, part of the IMI Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Accelerator Initiative. In this lecture, prof. Karlén will describe how the ENABLE platform has contributed to addressing the needs of the pharmaceutical industry and public health.

The lecture will be followed by Panel discussionThe future of innovation: industry collaboration and sustainable science funding at 15.50.). Experts - Jurģis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia, Vitālijs Skrīvelis, PharmIdea SIA Board Member and Co-Owner, Osvalds Pugovičs, Deputy Director of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis and BioPhoT Platform Manager, Joanna Lipner, Picralida co-founder and Executive Director - moderated by Sandra Kropa, will discuss how long-term financial support fosters scientific discovery and accelerates technology commercialisation.

On 16 May, a panel "Industry's challenges for science" (Industry Challenges for Science)will take place at 10.00. Industry professionals are invited to share real challenges that require interdisciplinary thinking and new collaborations. Life sciences, biomedical, medical technology and pharmaceutical professionals are invited to briefly present technical challenges and a "wish list" for their fields, for receiving informal feedback and new ideas from researchers, experts and other professionals, and make contacts that can lead to collaborations, research projects or co-developed innovations. Presentations on issues in their fields will be presented by TBD PharmaTech (Estonia), Lithuania BIO (Lithuania), Molport, PMNet Forum, Cellbox Labs and Roche Latvia representatives.

Registration for all Deep Tech Atelier 2025 events are free!

An intensive hands-on training event was held at the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis with great interest and a large attendance of more than 50 participants, where participants learned the basic principles of presentation structuring, content creation and public speaking. The event was moderated by Kristaps Pētersons, an experienced presentation master.

At the beginning of the training, the lecturer introduced the BioPhoT short presentation template, highlighting the essential elements to pay attention to, as well as the common mistakes in presenting. The theoretical part of the workshop provided a clear structure and direction for the practical work to follow.

In the practical part of the workshop, participants developed and presented their draft presentations, receiving detailed and valuable feedback from the lecturer.

Kristaps Petersons, a presentation skills specialist with more than 30 years of experience in journalism and thousands of presentations, inspired with his professional approach, clear examples and individual approach to each participant.

The first call for BioPhoT research and innovation projects is open until 8 May. Applications will be evaluated in two rounds. In the first round, a panel of independent science, industry and innovation experts will assess the innovative potential of the R&I project idea and its relevance to market and/or end-user needs. Applicants will be required to prepare a five-minute presentation and after their presentation in front of the panel, a 10-minute question and answer session. The second round will consist of a full project submission and scientific peer review by experts selected by the Latvian Science Council.

More than 30 scientists in person participated in the BioPhoT Platform Info-day on 10 April, and around 20 online. The aim of the event was to help scientists prepare for the submission of their project proposals on 8 May. 

"Given how different the objectives and criteria of BioPhoT are from traditional science funding competitions, our task is to help scientists orient themselves and prepare as much as possible for the selection process, where they will be judged not by scientists but by business people," said Osvalds Pugovičs, BioPhoT Platform Manager and Deputy Director of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis. 

"Under BioPhoT, the Ministry of Economics has tasked Latvian research organisations (scientists) with proposing, designing and developing research that will lead to projects that will benefit the economy for the next eight years. The overarching objective is to invest in science to boost Latvia's economic development and global competitiveness. 

Research carried out by BioPhoT scientists should be able to provide new, competitive solutions in biomedicine, medicine, pharmaceuticals, photonics, smart materials, electronics and engineering systems. 

After the submission of the project, the first selection round is the most important - a 5-minute presentation of the project followed by a discussion with the BioPhoT expert panel, an international team of professionals with experience in the commercial sector, business development and commercialisation of science. 

"The first round will be open to those projects whose authors are able to concisely and clearly answer the questions: what specific problem in industry or the economy can be solved in this way, why it can be done with the proposed idea and how the scientist's solution is better than existing ones," the selection criteria relevant to the BioPhoT platform was pointed out by Ģirts Ozoliņš, one of the seven mentors of the platform, senior expert at the Institute of Solid State Physics.  

The project teams that make it through the first selection round will go on to develop their applications in detail and will be assessed by a panel of experts from the Latvian Research Council, focusing on the scientific aspects of the idea. 

€6 million is available for projects that pass this year's first funding call. Researchers will be able to receive up to €200,000 per project. A second call for BioPhoT projects is planned for autumn this year. 

The BioPhoT Info-day provided participants with an overview of the application procedure, project selection criteria, the meaning of mentoring and the scope of assistance. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions in public and to consult individually with BioPhoT mentors and experts who were there to support applicants. Through the platform's funding, mentoring support is available to project applicants already during the preparation period. 

On 1 April, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry hosted the BioPhoT Mentoring Day.

During the event, the mentors of the platform gave a detailed insight into the practical aspects of BioPhoT, the role of mentors and the methodology. Scientists had the opportunity to ask questions and get answers on project development and application preparation.

"BioPhoT - or "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for Innovative Products" is a long-term national research programme designed to foster collaboration between scientists and the commercial sector to develop new technologies with high commercialisation potential in the biomedical, photonics and related sectors. It is designed as a long-term initiative with specific objectives in technology development and commercialisation. The platform has a particular focus on the commercialisation of research results, with a mentoring support system, training and additional innovation education available to project authors. These features make BioPhoT an important initiative in the Latvian science and innovation ecosystem, fostering closer cooperation between research and business, and contributing to Latvia's international competitiveness," the organizers highlighted.