Edgars Kuka – a researcher featured in the Research Latvia 2026 calendar
Photo: Ieva Romaško
When our researcher PhD Edgars Kuka is featured in the Research Latvia 2026 calendar, it is not only a personal achievement. It is also a story of quiet, dedicated, and consistent work that has helped shape the quality of Latvian wood science and its international recognition.
Edgar’s work spans both the study of wood properties and product life cycle assessment, allowing wood to be viewed not merely as a raw material, but as a fully developed product with an environmental impact throughout its entire life span. This ability to combine experimental research with an analytical perspective on resource use has become one of his professional hallmarks. A significant part of Edgar’s research focuses on wood modification processes—hydrothermal treatment, thermal modification, and impregnation—as well as the combination of these methods to improve the service performance of wood. His studies on enhancing the surface properties of birch plywood and on copper determination in wood are of practical importance for both industry and research, as they are grounded in a precise understanding of material behavior under real operating conditions.
Over the years, Edgar has participated in a number of major national and European projects, consistently carrying out work that requires both deep methodological expertise and patient, day-to-day laboratory effort. It is precisely through such work that reliable data and publications are produced—the foundation of scientific progress.
Edgars Kuka’s name regularly appears in international scientific journals, where, together with colleagues, he analyzes the stability of thermally modified wood, the ageing of wood–plastic composites, and life cycle inventories under Latvian conditions—topics that are relevant well beyond the academic community. In 2025, Edgar’s professional path received another important recognition when he was elected a member of the Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. This is an acknowledgment of his long-term contribution to wood science and a clear indication that careful, methodical work can achieve wide resonance within Latvia’s scientific landscape.
Today, Edgars Kuka is one of the researchers whose work convincingly strengthens the reputation of Latvian wood science. His inclusion in the Research Latvia calendar is a natural continuation of a path grounded in curiosity, precision, and long-term thinking.
Watch the Research Latvia video featuring Edgars Kuka:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XD_UTymWPE
