On 30 October, the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis will host the BioPhoT Research and Innovation Project Call 2 Info Day with the Latvian Council of Science and the Ministry of Defence.
The event will take place from 15.00 to 16.30 in the Institute's Large Conference Hall (Aizkraukles iela 21, 4th floor) and will also be available online.
During the Info Day, participants will be introduced to the current conditions of the 2nd call for BioPhoT Research and Innovation projects and the procedure for preparing applications in the National Scientific Activity Information System (NZDIS). A presentation on dual-use technologies - their nature, development and commercialisation opportunities - by a representative of the Ministry of Defence is also planned.
The programme will start with participants' arrival and lunch coffee at 14.30, followed by informative presentations and concluded by an informal discussion with afternoon coffee.
Participants are invited to register for the event in advance by filling in the application form: https://luma.com/9dmypvvb
On 14 October, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers decided that the National Research and Innovation Institute (NIRI), a European-scale centre for life and natural sciences, will start its work on 31 May 2026 by merging two leading Latvian science institutes - the Latvian Organic Synthesis Institute (OSI) and the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (BMC).
NIRI will therefore take over the coordination of the long-term national research programme project BioPhoT in June 2026. OSI will continue to coordinate the BioPhoT platform until the merger.
"NIRI will strengthen the links between BioPhoT partners and promises an even greater influx of interdisciplinary research project proposals in future BioPhoT calls," says Osvalds Pugovičs, BioPhoT Platform Manager.
NIRI will conduct research into new medicines, treatments and diagnostics, with the ultimate goal of finding solutions that help people live healthier, longer lives.
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.
To ensure a common understanding of the key stages, terminology and cooperation mechanisms of technology transfer, strengthening institutional competences in this field, technology transfer and intellectual property experts, scientists and other interested parties are invited to participate in the webinar series "The Basics of Technology Transfer: From Idea to Innovation", where experts in intellectual property and technology transfer from the BioPhoT platform will share their knowledge and experience.
Planned webinars:
13 November 2025
The process and role of technology transfer in research organisations
Technology transfer process from invention discovery to commercialisation (technology identification, evaluation, protection, commercialisation, transaction, maintenance of commitment)
The role of the TTO in the research organisation, the role of the innovation ecosystem and typical challenges in communicating with researchers and industry
Lecturers - Dr. Anna Stikāne (Head of the Technology Transfer Centre, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis) and David Stöbel (European Space Agency (ESA) Industrial Coordinator for Latvia)
"BioPhoT uses the following tools to evaluate research and innovation projects at entry, mid-term and final stages KTH Innovation Readiness Level a methodology developed by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. A special workshop was held on 6 October to introduce the method and its application to the platform's innovators. A recording of the workshop and the materials to be used are available to anyone interested.
The KTH IRL is a useful tool for research teams and Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) beyond BioPhoT to assess the maturity of projects with commercial potential and to plan the work/tasks to be carried out to advance a specific idea/technology towards commercialisation.
The KTH Innovation Readiness Level methodology helps to assess the readiness of an innovation at different stages of development and covers all critical aspects: technology, market, business model, team, intellectual property and funding readiness. The methodology provides a structured approach to effectively develop and commercialise innovations and helps to identify critical points and priorities for the next steps of development.
The KTH IRL framework is based on six key dimensions of innovation development, each with a scale of 1-9 levels of readiness, with clear requirements and targets to be met at each level:
Customer Readiness Level (CRL) - confirm customer needs and interest
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) - to develop and test a technology, product or service
Business Model Readiness Level (BRL) - to ensure the sustainability of the business model (financially, socially, environmentally)
IPR Readiness Level (IPRL) - to clearly define and protect intellectual property rights
Team Readiness Level (TMRL) - assemble and develop a competent and coherent team
Funding Readiness Level (FRL) - to provide the necessary funding to turn an idea into a marketable product
PMNET 2025, the Precision Medicine Networking Forum supported by the Recovery Foundation, brings together more than 50 speakers from 20 countries to strengthen the development of innovation and research in precision medicine at both regional and European level. In the run-up to the five-year anniversary of the Forum, this year's focus is on strengthening networking agreements through hands-on workshops for members of the biomedical ecosystem.
On Thursday, 9 October, the agenda of the Partners' Session of the Forum includes a report by Osvalds Pugovičs, Head of the long-term research platform BioPhoT, entitled "BioPhoT - a new format for innovation development, first lessons and future plans". The report will provide information on the place of BioPhoT in the Latvian innovation ecosystem, analyse the results achieved so far, and outline plans for the near future.
For more information on the Forum programme and speakers, visit www.pmnetforum.com.
The PMNET Forum has become a major event thanks to the contribution of both local and international experts. The Forum is organised by the Children's Hospital Foundation, Children's Clinical University Hospital, Riga Stradins University, the Latvian Children's Oncology Foundation, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Health, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, as well as several patient organisations in cooperation with the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia, the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Riga East Clinical University Hospital and Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital.
The event is held in English with separate sessions in Latvian.
The event is supported by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). The project "Development of a full innovation system management model and its continuous operation" is funded by the European Union's Recovery Fund.
About the Recovery Fund
Recovery Fund (Recovery and Resilience Facility) is a centrally managed budget programme of the EC, additional to the EU's multiannual budget for the programming period 2021-2027. It aims to support reforms and investments linked to the transition to a green and digital economy and to mitigate the social and economic impact of the crisis. The Recovery Fund will invest €1.97 billion in Latvia's economy by the end of 2026, through reforms and investments in all six of the Recovery Fund's strands: Climate and Energy (including REPowerEU), Digital Transformation, Reducing Inequalities, Economic Transformation, Health and Rule of Law.
Info day for potential applicants: on the BioPhoT call and its rules, and on changes to the application and evaluation of research and innovation projects.
"BioPhoT Research and Innovation Call 2 conditions.
On Wednesday, 8 October, the RTU Science and Innovation Centre in Riga will host EIT National Day 2025 - an event organised by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) that will bring together representatives of the science, business and innovation ecosystem from Latvia and abroad. Everyone is welcome to attend the event by registering in advance for free on fienta.com/eitnationalday2025.
During the event, the leadership of the research platform "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for Innovative Products" ("BioPhoT") will discuss opportunities for closer collaboration with the EIT community in Latvia, in particular with EIT Health a network to promote health innovation, photonics and biomedical technologies in Latvia and Europe
The aim of the collaboration is to help Latvian researchers and start-ups become part of the European health innovation community, learning from industry professionals and gaining valuable international experience.
Osvalds Pugovičs, BioPhoT Platform Manager said will take part in the panel "Bridging the Gap in Innovation: Potential for Latvian Deep Tech Startup Ecosystem Support". The topic of the panel will be tools for bridging the innovation "valley of death", i.e. the technological readiness level range TRL4 - TRL6 - national support tools, incl. "BioPhoT platform, EIT programmes, as well as opportunities for synergies between tools.
O. Pugovic stresses: "The synergistic use of support tools is probably more effective than simply increasing the amount of funding, as it allows the different elements of the innovation ecosystem - researchers, start-ups and industry partners - to be connected, creating a more sustainable and collaborative development environment."
EIT Community Latvia is the European Institute of Innovation and Technology's representative office in Latvia, based at Riga Technical University (RTU) and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Latvian Science Council.
It aims to connect scientists, entrepreneurs and start-ups with European innovation networks, providing access to training, mentoring and funding opportunities for health, food, digital technologies and more.
By 2032 BioPhoT platforms At least 35 new technologies are expected to be developed, of which more than half will be developed to validation in real or full-scale conditions (TRL 5-6) and at least four to the commercialisation phase. This will significantly strengthen Latvia's competitiveness in high-tech areas.
"BioPhoT approved Platform Innovation Projects (PIPs) are regularly assessed and mentored using the Innovation Readiness Level (IRL) methodology developed by KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
During the workshop, led by BioPhoT mentor Ģirts Ozoliņš, everyone can learn how this methodology helps to evaluate and develop innovation projects, its application in BioPhoT platform projects, get practical examples and answers to questions.
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.
