Category: Notice

14. oktobrī Latvijas Ministru kabinets pieņēmis lēmumu, ka 2026. gada 31. maijā, apvienojot divus vadošos Latvijas zinātnes institūtus – Latvijas Organiskās sintēzes institūtu (OSI) un Latvijas Biomedicīnas pētījumu un studiju centru (BMC) darbu sāks Eiropas mēroga dzīvības un dabas zinātņu centrs – Nacionālais pētniecības un inovāciju institūts (NIRI).

Līdz ar to NIRI 2026. gada jūnijā pārņems ilgtermiņa valsts pētījumu programmas projekta BioPhoT koordinēšanu. Līdz apvienošanās brīdim BioPhoT platformas koordinēšanu turpinās OSI.

“NIRI stiprinās saites starp BioPhoT partneriem un nākotnē sola vēl lielāku starpdisciplināru pētniecības projektu pieteikumu pieplūdumu BioPhoT konkursu uzsaukumos,” pārliecināts BioPhoT platformas vadītājs Osvalds Pugovičs.

NIRI veiks pētījumus jaunu zāļu, ārstēšanas un diagnostikas metožu izstrādē ar virsuzdevumu – meklēt risinājumus, kas palīdz cilvēkiem dzīvot veselīgāk un ilgāk.

On 14 October, the Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to the Cabinet Regulation of 4 September 2018 No 560 "Procedures for the Implementation of National Research Programme Projects". The new amendments provide that the leaders of BioPhoT research and innovation projects (RIPs) may also be PhD students or PhD candidates.

These changes significantly broaden the pool of potential beneficiaries and encourage the involvement of younger researchers in leading projects, which is expected to stimulate a surge of new ideas and innovations in the BioPhoT programme. The current BioPhoT call rules do not contradict these changes and therefore no changes will be made to the documentation.

On 6 October, the second call for Research and Innovation Projects (PIPs) of the Research Platform on Biomedicine and Photonics for Innovative Products ("BioPhoT") was launched. This call for proposals has an indicative amount of €4,826,110 available for researchers to implement innovative solutions in two areas of the Latvian Smart Strategy (RIS3) - biomedicine, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, as well as photonics and smart materials research, technology and engineering.

Each Research and Innovation Project (RIP) can receive up to €190 000 and has an implementation period of 8 months, with the possibility of extending it for a further three months without additional funding. The PIP leader submits an application to the National Scientific Activity Information System (NZDIS). The deadline for applications is 7 November 2025.

On 7 October, the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis will host information seminar on the preparation and submission of applications. For more information on applying for funding, the Terms of Reference and information on the information workshops organised by the Platform, please visit the Platform's website www.biophot.lv.

The PIP leader is obliged to apply for a mentoring consultation to assess the technological readiness of the project before submission. Mentoring can also be used for the preparation of the first round application and the presentation to the industry panel. To apply for a mentoring consultation, please visit the project website https://biophot.lv/zinatniekiem/#mentors“.

"The first BioPhoT project competition was a striking testament to the competitiveness of Latvian science and its readiness to tackle global challenges with locally generated, innovative ideas. The diversity of the 40 approved projects reveals that our researchers are not only rich in ideas, but also ready to go beyond the academic framework, convincingly demonstrating the commercial potential of their solutions. Latvia already has strong, collaborative research teams which, with the right support mechanisms, can achieve technological breakthroughs. Innovation starts with the courage to think differently - and we saw this courage, this strategic vision of the future, in the ideas, in the presentations and in the collaboration between the teams. It is this approach - focused, results-oriented and rooted in scientific excellence - that is the way to strengthen Latvia's competitiveness in high-tech areas. Our common task now is to help these ideas develop into real solutions," says Osvalds Pugovičs, BioPhoT Platform Manager said.

Applications will be evaluated in two rounds. In the first round, a panel of experts will analyse the innovative potential of the ideas and their relevance to market and/or user needs. PIP applicants will be asked to present their idea in a five-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. In the second round, experts from the Latvian Research Council will assess the scientific quality, impact and feasibility of the applications.

"The BioPhoT platform aims to bridge the gap between science and the commercial sector to develop new technologies and promote their commercialisation. Alongside the calls for projects, BioPhoT offers a wide range of free training programmes providing practical knowledge on technology transfer, intellectual property protection and commercialisation of innovations.

The first call for proposals launched by the Platform supported 40 projects for a total of €8 million. They cover a wide range of topics, from sepsis diagnostics for newborns and biomaterials for bone regeneration to sensors for assessing the quality of seafood and smart additives for asphalt. The most active project promoters are the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, the Institute of Solid State Physics and the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis. Support was also given to regional universities - scientists from Daugavpils and Jelgava.

By 2032, BioPhoT will have developed at least 35 new technologies, more than half of which will have progressed to validation in real or full-scale conditions (TRL 5-6), and at least four to commercialisation.

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.

The Platform is expected to run until at least 2026, with the potential to extend funding in subsequent phases until 2032.

Following the evaluation process of the first call for research and innovation projects, 40 projects have been selected for further implementation under the "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for Innovative Products" ("BioPhoT"). They represent a broad spectrum of research, focusing on smart specialisation areas such as biomedicine, medical technologies, photonics, materials science, energy and the environment.

"The first call for BioPhoT research and innovation projects has received an overwhelming response in the academic community, with more than 120 research groups responding to the invitation to take part in a competition format that has never before been seen in Latvia. A third of these groups have received funding to implement their ideas. This is a clear demonstration of the great potential of our scientists for applied research and innovation, if properly supported. Our challenge now is to highlight the themes of the supported projects both nationally and internationally, and to convince industry partners that Latvian scientists are ready to tackle high-level practical challenges and create innovations with global potential," says Osvalds Pugovičs, Platform Manager.

Due to the high quality of the applications, the Platform's Project Steering Group, after assessing the density of the results, decided to increase the original funding from €6 million to €8 million.

Around a quarter of the projects supported are biomedical and healthcare related, such as innovative approaches to sepsis, cancer and infection diagnostics. The same number of projects represent medical technologies, including the development of new devices, sensors and diagnostic solutions. There is also a strong focus on photonics and optical technologies, solutions for fibre optic sensors, fluorescent coatings and infrared spectroscopy. A further eight projects are on smart materials, including innovative biomaterials and sustainable composites, and four on environmental and energy topics such as CO₂ capture and renewable energy applications

The largest project promoters are the University of Latvia with ten funded projects and Riga Technical University with nine. The Institute of Solid State Physics at the University of Latvia will implement seven projects, while the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis supports six research groups. Three projects will be implemented by Riga Stradiņš University, two by the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, and one project each by Daugavpils University, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies.

"The BioPhoT platform is open to all Latvian research organisations, for example, in this call for proposals, support was also granted to scientists from Daugavpils and Jelgava, which confirms the quality of the projects submitted, while sending an important signal to all regional universities," emphasises O. Pugovičs.

The broad institutional coverage demonstrates both the potential of Latvian science and the high level of engagement across disciplines. The competition attracted considerable interest, with 122 applications from a wide range of research fields, including biomedical, pharmaceutical, photonics, medical technology and materials science.

The evaluation of the submitted projects took place in two rounds: initially, the innovative potential of the applications was analysed by industry, commercialisation and innovation experts, while in the second round their scientific quality was assessed by foreign scientific experts attracted by the Latvian Council of Science.

This is the first of three calls for the first phase of the BioPhoT platform until the end of 2026. More than €12 million will be available for innovation projects, and almost €5 million more for training on technology transfer, IP protection and commercialisation skills. The next call for research and innovation projects is expected in early October, with a conference at the end of November to give everyone the opportunity to get a closer look at the projects supported under the first call. 

By 2032, the platform plans to develop at least 35 new technologies, more than half of which will be developed to validation in real or full-scale conditions (TRL 5-6) and at least four to commercialisation. This will significantly strengthen Latvia's competitiveness in high-tech areas.

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.

Supported projects:

Following the evaluation process of the first call for research and innovation projects, 40 projects have been selected for further implementation under the "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for Innovative Products" ("BioPhoT"). They represent a broad spectrum of research, focusing on smart specialisation areas such as biomedicine, medical technologies, photonics, materials science, energy and the environment.

Supported projects:

BioPhoT partner Riga Technical University is implementing the SINERGIA: Industrial Symbiosis Innovation Accelerator programme. BioPhoT scientists are invited to familiarise themselves with the programme conditions and to apply for an alternative source of funding in other RIs3 areas. More information on the programme can be found at: https://sinergia.lv/akselerators/ . Application deadline 8 August https://ej.uz/pietekties_SINERGIA!

Latvia's leading dairy processing companies AS Valmieras piens and AS Smiltenes piens are looking for partners who can offer solutions to two major challenges:

Processing of sour milk juice - each year, companies produce more than 20 000 tonnes of rennet, a liquid, chemically aggressive by-product with a complex composition, high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and low pH. This resource is currently under-utilised despite its potential for high value-added products. 

Flotation sludge management - flotation sludge from wastewater treatment contains significant amounts of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and trace elements. However, their use is currently severely limited due to technological, economic and regulatory barriers.

The Accelerator aims to develop solutions that turn these challenges into new resources or products with market potential. To help do this, the programme offers: 

- work on a real industry challenge

- develop your idea with business representatives;

- get financial support to develop your idea;

- receive expert training and mentoring.

Teams, companies or individuals with relevant knowledge and ideas are welcome to apply. 

The Latvian Science Council has completed the administrative evaluation of the second round of research and innovation project applications and 74 applications with high innovation potential have been submitted for scientific evaluation by foreign experts.

The projects represent 11 smart specialisation areas and 14 scientific fields, with a strong focus on engineering, life sciences and health research.

The projects demonstrate a strong focus on translational innovation - from medicine and pharmaceuticals to material sciences and digital technologies.

The University of Latvia, RTU - Riga Technical University and the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia have the highest number of applications, with a broad coverage of topics and visible leadership, while providing a high-quality scientific framework.

Equally important and significant is the participation of the Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga Stradiņš University, Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, Daugavpils University, LV Institute of Wood Chemistry and Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies, which provide specialised competences and high precision approach to specific scientific fields. This allows the development of research projects based on existing infrastructure and accumulated knowledge.

Thoughtful partnerships and active inter-institutional cooperation are important. Many applications can be implemented jointly between different institutions, thus ensuring more efficient use of resources, knowledge transfer and a multidisciplinary approach to research.

"The BioPhoT platform has compiled the first challenges defined by industry partners, which you are invited to read by downloading the annexes:

Contacting the contact details provided will help you to find out about the specific requirements of the sectoral challenges and to decide whether your research experience, infrastructure and partners are suitable to address them in the next call for Research and Innovation.