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From laboratory research to practical cooperation
Researchers, technology developers and business representatives are meeting in Riga on Thursday, September 24, for a full-day programme designed to connect scientific work with possible industrial applications. Industry Day and Sensing the Future, organised by the University of Latvia and the university’s Institute of Solid State Physics, combines technology presentations, laboratory visits and discussions about future cooperation.
The event is taking place at two University of Latvia locations: the Institute of Solid State Physics in Kengarags during the morning and the University of Latvia House of Science in Torņakalns in the afternoon. The programme is focused on research areas that are already close to commercial use or could support new products and services.
According to the event organisers, the day is intended to give companies a clearer view of technologies being developed in Latvia while allowing researchers to receive feedback from potential users. The format is therefore less about a conventional academic conference and more about creating direct contacts between laboratories, companies and innovation networks.
Two research projects in the morning programme
The morning Industry Day programme includes presentations on the FeLow-D and SWEB projects. FeLow-D is working with functionally low-dimensional ferroelectric materials, which can be relevant to advanced electronic and biomedical devices. The project brings together scientists from several countries and has a budget of €2.5 million.
Its potential application areas include electronics, sensors, energy production and medical technologies. Presenting the project to industry audiences allows researchers to discuss not only scientific progress but also questions such as manufacturing, scalability and the needs of possible technology partners.
The second featured project, SWEB, is developing smart windows for zero-energy buildings. Its work includes functional coatings, thin-film technologies and methods for applying those coatings at larger scale. The organisers say the technologies could also be relevant to greenhouses, optical products and advanced manufacturing.
These examples illustrate a broader direction in Latvia’s research policy: strengthening the path from publicly supported research towards practical use. The event does not promise immediate commercial products, but it creates a setting in which researchers and companies can assess whether further testing, joint development or technology transfer is realistic.
Quantum computing and DNA data storage in the afternoon
The afternoon programme, titled Sensing the Future, moves to the University of Latvia House of Science. It is being held within the BioPhoT programme and broadens the discussion to technologies shaping future energy systems, communications and advanced manufacturing.
The agenda includes a conversation with Professor Koen Bertels on quantum computing, DNA data storage and Unveil models. The programme also features technology presentations, an “Industry Reality Check” and a short matchmaking format intended to help participants identify possible partners quickly.
For a research community, such a format can be valuable because commercialisation often depends on contacts outside a single scientific field. A materials researcher may need a manufacturer, while a software developer may need access to specialised laboratory equipment or a test environment. Bringing those groups together in one day can help clarify which ideas are ready for development and which still require basic research.
A practical meeting point for Latvia’s innovation ecosystem
The event comes as Latvia continues to seek stronger links between universities, research institutes and companies. ResearchLatvia has highlighted research commercialisation and industry collaboration as important parts of the country’s innovation agenda, including through international exchanges focused on how scientific results can be brought closer to the market.
Industry Day offers a local, face-to-face version of that objective. Laboratory tours can make research infrastructure more visible to companies, while direct discussion gives scientists an opportunity to understand the technical and business requirements of potential partners.
The organisers describe the programme as an opportunity to learn about emerging technologies, exchange views and build new cooperation contacts. Participation is conducted in English, and the event is aimed at researchers, innovators, technology developers and representatives of industry.
Rather than presenting science as a finished product, the Riga programme focuses on the intermediate stage where ideas are tested, explained and matched with practical needs. That makes the event relevant not only to established companies but also to start-ups, research teams and organisations looking for new applications in energy efficiency, sensing, biomedicine and digital technologies.
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