“Latvia's economic development depends to a large extent on how productive our companies are. One of the prerequisites for increasing productivity is the use of science-intensive technologies and investment in research and development. To open the curtain on what is happening in this sector, we invite all interested parties to register for the Deep Tech Atelier conference, which will take place in Riga from 20 to 21 April,” says Kaspars Rožkalns, Director General at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).
This year's Deep Tech Atelier will focus on space and photonics technologies, but the broad programme will also cover other areas. On five stages, internationally renowned speakers will share their insights on the latest trends, scientific breakthroughs and opportunities to attract funding for their business ideas. The conference will be opened by Fabrice Testa from Luxembourg, who has developed business projects in the space sector himself, but in recent years has been more active as an investor, sought-after technology speaker and book author.
“Only knowledge-based industries can bring Latvia the long-awaited economic breakthrough. Any product, food, clothing or rocket fuel that meets the requirements of the space or other knowledge-intensive industries will have a much higher added value. That is why in recent years, when working on state aid instruments, we have been placing more and more emphasis on “smart” sectors of the economy and the commercialisation of science,” emphasizes K. Rožkalns, adding that according to the Productivity Council of Latvia, labour costs in Latvia have increased by 46.2% in the last five years, which is three times faster than productivity. “This is proof that only by increasing investment in knowledge-intensive sectors will we be able to maintain the competitiveness of our economy.”
The Deep Tech Atelier conference is a meeting point for entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, international and local industry experts, technology developers, public administrations and technology enthusiasts.
The conference will focus on attracting investment, commercialising science, company experiences, new platforms for collaboration and other topics that can serve as a source of inspiration for anyone looking for new directions and seeing opportunities for development in areas related to knowledge-based entrepreneurship.
In addition to exciting presentations by internationally renowned speakers, the conference will also feature an extensive EXPO area where various entrepreneurs and support organisations will provide information and showcase their products. The conference will also include a special session of startup presentations for investors, as well as the opportunity to organise bilateral business meetings with conference participants.
Deep Tech Atelier will also host the European Space Agency Days in Latvia for the second year, bringing together representatives of the sector from many countries around the world.
As an added value, this year's conference will also include a special event in cooperation with the Swedish and Finnish photonics and optics industry associations to promote cooperation with companies and research institutions in these countries.
The conference will also host a mid-term event of the Norwegian Grant Business and Innovation Programme, which will celebrate project success stories, organise a practical workshop on industrial design and discuss the impact of innovation on climate goals.
Deep Tech Atelier is a conference, a series of practical workshops and an industry matchmaking event that is now in its fifth year in Riga, attracting a wide range of participants from many countries around the world. Deep Tech Atelier is the largest event in the Baltics dedicated to the development of the science-intensive ecosystem and industry. Each year, the Deep Tech Atelier conference, in collaboration with the science commercialisation platform Commercialisation Reactor and investors, creates around ten teams of scientists and entrepreneurs that turn into successful start-ups. For several years now, the Commercialisation Reactor has been one of the conference organisers' most trusted partners, building new teams to take science-intensive business ideas to market.
The conference is organised by LIAA and will take place at Radisson Blu Latvija, Elizabetes Street 55. The working language is English and participation will be free of charge.
Deep Tech Atelier events are implemented under the European Regional Development Fund projects “Innovation Motivation Programme” and “Support for the Improvement of the Technology Transfer System”.
More information on the conference programme and registration is available here: www.deeptechatelier.com
