In order to promote the development of science and provide Latvian companies with the opportunity to participate in procurement of high value-added goods and services for the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls for all necessary preparations at national level for Latvia to join CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
Such an opinion was agreed by the LCCI Knowledge Economy Council, which is represented by both entrepreneurs and scientists. Industry representatives indicate that participation in CERN will enable Latvian companies to offer their goods and services in various purchases, such as equipment, because CERN is already one of the most important engineering and computer computing outsourcing customers in Europe.
Latvia's membership at CERN would boost not only fundamental research and engineering, but also foster production of knowledge-intensive products, which would make a shift from labor-oriented to knowledge-oriented production.
«CERN is a serious business partner, so cooperation guarantees stable long-term contracts,» says LCCI President Aigars Rostovsky, adding that this is a unique opportunity for collaboration between scientists and entrepreneurs to create high value-added products that would also significantly boost exports.
CERN procurement procedures are simpler, quicker and more specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises. The principle of «geographical balance and fair proportion» is also respected, and Latvia can have its own Industrial Liaison Officers at CERN, whos main task would be to promote orders directly to Latvian companies.
LCCI believes that active action by Latvia is needed now that all the necessary preparations have been made at the moment we are ready to join. «The investment that Latvia has to make is an investment, so I call on politicians to make responsible decisions to promote both science and business,» says Rostovsky.
On February 6, 2018, the government decided on Latvia's progress towards CERN and instructed the Ministry of Education and Science to prepare and send a letter to the CERN Council on Latvia's intention to join the pre-stage to membership of CERN.
