On 12 July, the Prime Minister of Latvia Māris Kučinskis visited the campus of Riga Technical University (RTU). During his visit, the Prime Minister attended RTU faculties, research and study laboratories. He also discussed university development plan and its contribution to the development of the national economy of Latvia with RTU Rector, academician Leonīds Ribickis, and other representatives of RTU administration.
M. Kučinskis visited RTU Design Factory and a creative laboratory established with support from JSC Latvenergo, where students and researchers can turn their ideas into prototypes that can be commercialised, thus launching engineering products in the market. The Prime Minister had the opportunity to learn about support RTU provides to establishment of new research intensive enterprises.
M. Kučinskis also inspected RTU Water Research Laboratory and Scientific Library, as well as learned about RTU development strategy. He offered his support to RTU infrastructure development plans with regard to continuing construction of Ķīpsala Campus.
RTU Vice-Rector for Research professor Tālis Juhna noted, «We are glad that the Prime Minister positively evaluated RTU development plans and expressed his willingness to provide support to the speeded up implementation of RTU infrastructure project, promoting further advancement of higher education, research and valorisation or technology transfer to the national economy at RTU.»
RTU territorial complex in Ķīpsala is the first campus in Latvia. Its construction started in 1965, but it was interrupted due to the lack of funding in the period when Latvia regained its independence. RTU started renovation of existing faculty buildings and construction of new buildings six years ago using the funding from the European Regional Development Fund, the Climate Change Financial Instrument, as well as own resources. In the first stage of the planning period, a new building of the Faculty of Power and Electrical Engineering, Laboratory Building and Scientific Library of RTU were erected in RTU campus, the buildings of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications, Faculty of Material Science and Applied Chemistry, student hostel and RTU swimming pool were renovated.
In the new planning period, it is envisaged to modernize the Centre of Excellence for Smart Engineering Technologies establishing new research units in the fields of computer science and smart technologies; to renovate the building of the Faculty of Civil Engineering; to erect a new building for the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, and to move the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transport and Aeronautics to Ķīpsala. Upon completion, RTU campus will become the most modern engineering study centre in the Baltic States.
