Rafter celebration for the new building of the Baltic Biomaterials Center of Excellence (BBCE) will be held at the Ķīpsala RTU student campus (Paula Valdena street 3) on November 24 at 11:00.
In the new building, scientists will study and synthesize human «spare parts» - implant materials made of calcium phosphates and intended to replace damaged tissues and organs.
Scientists at the Rūdolfs Cimdiņš Rīga Biomaterials Innovation and Development Center are currently researching and developing biomaterials near Ķīpsala (on Pulka street) and will work in the BBCE building. The focus of the center's scientists is the development of materials and technologies for personalized medicine – personalized drug delivery systems, adjusting the shape and chemical composition of implant materials.
By moving to the RTU student campus and being next to MLĶF, as well as other RTU faculties, scientists will be able to expand interdisciplinary research and develop a new research direction related to the in-depth study of implant materials in a cellular environment.
The new BBCE building will provide a state-of-the-art environment for research, study, and the transfer of products from the laboratory to the market. It will have modernly equipped chemistry laboratories, a clean room, in vitro research, and implant prototype manufacturing laboratories.
There will also be additional workspaces for scientists and conferences. It will be an energy-efficient, smart building that will provide optimal lighting and microclimate for work. The energy resources for the building will be provided by solar panels.
The ambitious BBCE project (GA No. 857287) was launched in 2020 under the leadership of MLC Professor Jānis Ločs to strengthen scientific capacity, develop and commercialize new biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration, facial, oral, and maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics, and other fields.
The project is implemented by RTU in close cooperation with partners - Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga Stradins University, RSU Stomatology Institute, AO Research Institute in Davos, Switzerland, and Erlangen-Nuremberg University in Germany.
In terms of funding, 15 million euros for its implementation has been allocated from the EU program "Horizon 2020" and 15 million euro is provided by the state, ERDF and project partners.
The future building will be the BBCE's flagship headquarters. The project also expands the research infrastructure of OSI and RSU, in cooperation with foreign partners, the competence of Latvian scientists is increased, and in cooperation with industry, the transfer of knowledge and technologies, promoting the development of innovative industries, as well as high added value products and services in Latvia.
