The State Research Program «Innovation Fund - Industry Research Program» implemented by the Ministry of Economy, is a recognized initiative that not only stimulates cooperation between research organizations, but representatives of Latvia's largest research institutes conclude that it also allows conducting applied science research that is not possible for individual groups of scientists.
The researchers agree that the creation of long-term research platforms, which is currently being implemented in the projects of this National Research Program «Smart Materials, Photonics, Technology and Engineering Ecosystem» (MOTE) and the «National Research Program Project in Biomedicine, Medical Technologies and Pharmacy» (BioMedPharm), is encouraged, and supported, as they enable researchers to mobilize for solving multidisciplinary scientific tasks.
In terms of the national research program’s projects, they include what important innovations in smart materials, photonics and public health are created with state support, what role they will play in economic growth, what industry expects from science, what kinds of state support is needed to bring scientific innovations to the market, and other important issues. A wide range of experts, policymakers and industry representatives discussed the issues at the conference «Innovation Fund - Sectoral Research Program: Smart Materials, Photonics and Biomedicine.»
«It would be valuable to start with a pilot project that would allow for the combination of the forces of various research institutes, to create a joint photonics, smart materials, biomedical platform. This type of test, which would be carried out in a community that is already prepared for it, would provide confidence about how it can be done on a national scale and would allow to prevent various mistakes in time, » said director of the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia (LU CFI) director Andris Anspoks.
In the panel discussion, policymakers, representatives from the manufacturing sector and research institutions, including RTU Rector Tālis Juhna and Vice-Rector for Innovations Liene Briede, discussed the goals of the «Innovation Fund - Sectoral Research Program» program, alignment with the needs of industry and the possibilities of scientific institutions, as well as the promotion measures necessary for the commercialization of scientific innovations. The conference also presented the results that have been obtained during the projects of the National Research Program.
«Industry is often not ready for early-phase technologies, so supporting funding for testing ideas and developing prototypes is important, which reduces the final technological risks, » RTU researcher and industrial coordinator of the European Space Agency Dāvids Stēbelis expressed in his vision.
LU CFI, RTU, LU, the Institute of Electronics and Computer Sciences, Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and the Rēzekne Academy of Technology joined the MOTE project cluster in order to implement interdisciplinary research, which could become a basis for the development of internationally competitive technologies, products and services, as well as new economic sectors in Latvia.
In addition, the BioMedPharm project, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (OSI), Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center, Riga Stradins University (RSU), RTU, LU, and the Scientific Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR created a national-level biomedical research platform with the goal of solving public health problems. The mission of BioMedPharm is to improve the availability of therapy, thereby reducing mortality and morbidity rates, as well as contributing to the improvement of the general health status of society.
The conference was organized within the MOTE and BioMedPharm projects. Both projects are implemented with the support of the «Innovation Fund - Industry Research Program» program, which is a state order created by the Ministry of Economy with the aim of promoting scientific research and promoting technological transfer, innovative and commercialized products and technology development, in accordance with industry demand in two Smart Specialization Strategies approved in Latvia in the fields of «Biomedicine, medical technologies, pharmaceuticals» and «Photonics and smart materials, technologies and engineering systems».
