News

From May 6 to 8, the international young scientists’ conference “BTechPro2026” took place, bringing together 87 participants from nearly 20 countries, including students, researchers, industry representatives, and field experts. During the event, participants discussed the latest trends in bioeconomy, biomass processing technologies, and the development of sustainable materials. Conference Opens with a Focus on Practical Skills The first day of the conference began with practical workshops, providing participants with an opportunity to develop skills essential for research work before the...

From May 5 to 7, Director of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry Karina Orlova participated in the EARMA 2026 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, the largest event of its kind in Europe in the field of research management and administration. The conference brought together research management and administration professionals from more than 40 countries to discuss current trends, best practices, and opportunities for international collaboration in science and innovation. This year’s conference theme, “Empowering Research Managers and Administrators as Leaders for Impact”, highlighted the...

On May 7, 2026, the team VitraLux won the Latvian final of the Bio-based Innovations Student Challenge Europe (BISC-E), earning the opportunity to represent Latvia in the European competition. The team’s idea was selected by the jury as the strongest among the national finalists and will now compete with teams from 18 European countries in the first round of the European final. The VitraLux team consists of Anna Rēzija Āboltiņa, Daniela Kūla, and Ričards Varens. As part of the competition, they developed portable lighting objects made from recyclable bio-based vitrimer polymer, combining...

From May 6 to 8, the international conference for young scientists “BTechPro2026”, organized by the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC), will take place in Riga and Sigulda for the third time. The conference is dedicated to biorefinery technologies and products and will bring together researchers from 14 countries to discuss, exchange ideas, and explore the latest trends in the bioeconomy sector. The first day of the conference will be dedicated to workshops, where participants will get to know each other and work in small groups. During the workshops, participants will have the...

In a recent interview, Daniela Godina highlights the creative nature of chemistry and her personal journey in science. She describes chemistry as a field that combines analytical thinking with imagination, allowing researchers to develop innovative solutions from fundamental principles. Daniela also reflects on her academic path, key inspirations, and current work, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, persistence, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She encourages young people to explore science without fear, noting that chemistry offers diverse opportunities to make a meaningful impact...

Leading Researchers of the LSIWC Cellulose Laboratory, Inese Filipova and Laura Andže, have returned from a business trip to Turkey’s largest furniture manufacturing company, Bürotime, located in Konya, a city renowned for its ancient history. The exchange of experience between the scientists and the industrial partner took place within the framework of the Bio-Acouis project. At the company, Inese and Laura became acquainted with the practical and design aspects of manufacturing furniture from veneer and various types of pressed particleboards. On 16 and 17 April, a seminar for all project...