INNOVATIONS DEVELOPED IN LATVIA TO BE SHOWCASED
On June 15 at 12.00, the Demo Day of the first mobility and water innovation acceleration programme “City to Sea” will begin, with the presentation of 14 technological and science-intensive solutions, which will make movement more convenient, accessible and environmentally friendly. The programme will focus on environmental protection, digital transformation of ports, marine energy, food sustainability and other challenges facing the blue economy. The programme is implemented by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) in collaboration with the Riga Technical University (RTU) Science and Innovation Centre (ZIC) and the open innovation movement VEFRESH.
The Demo Day can be watched online on the RTU ZIC and "VEFRESH" Facebook page - link here.
The teams will showcase a platform for generating energy from coastal waves, mobile underwater drones to detect pollution, microalgae bioreactors for improving indoor air quality, a solution which decontaminates wastewater of phosphorus using algal biomass, as well as environmentally friendly technologies for wastewater treatment and anti-corrosion coatings utilising sunlight. The accelerator programme is also developing a filter to purify ship sewage by removing microplastics, an autonomous modular water platform, a four-wheeled cargo scooter, a real-time vehicle fleet management solution that prevents shared-use cars from breaking the speed limit, as well as a platform that collates shared-use car, scooter and bike usage trends. Other products on view will include an AI solution for automatic monitoring of car parks, a platform for locating electric car charging stations and sharing the use of trailers, and a GPS device to determine the exact location of vehicles.
"The “City to Sea” acceleration pilot project demonstrated that, with through the cooperation of specialists in specific industries, it is feasible to quickly develop innovative and technology-intensive solutions in contemporary industries, which are potentially capable of resolving major challenges facing Latvian society and adding value on a European and global scale. Through the collaboration of businesses, scientists and public administration, goals can be achieved that match the economic changes announced at government level, stimulating innovation and the development of high added value industries," stresses LIAA Director Kaspars Rožkalns.
Demo day will also include a panel discussion in which experts from the Latvian start-up ecosystem and public sector representatives will discuss the ecosystem's various needs, along with the prospects for commercializing science-intensive solutions and other major issues.
“City to Sea” objective is to pave the way for faster development of innovative ideas, bringing developed products closer to being launched on the global market. The teams perfected technologies, tested their viability in real conditions, learned how to create and develop a business strategy during six-week workshops, and practiced converting knowledge into practice under the watchful eye of mentors from the Israeli company Two Dots Consulting.
The programme is implemented with ERDF support.
