News

The Board meetings of the Latvian Organic Farming Association (LBLA) serve as an important sector-wide platform where organic agriculture policy issues are discussed, strategic decisions are taken, and research with direct practical relevance for farms is presented. It was in precisely such a setting that on 23 January 2026, at the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture, the leading researcher of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Dr. sc. ing. Oskars Grīgs, introduced Board members to the progress of the Subt4Potato project and its next steps. This was not the first occasion on...

Yesterday, the BioPhoT Industry Day of Latvia’s national research programme took place at the House of Science of the University of Latvia Academic Centre in Riga, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers to strengthen dialogue between science and industry and to promote the market uptake of research results. During the event, a cooperation memorandum was signed between the European health innovation network EIT Health and the national research and innovation platform BioPhoT. The memorandum aims to jointly promote research commercialisation, early-stage innovation and the...

When black tea residues, hemp fibres, pine cellulose and recycled paper come together on a laboratory bench, an obvious question arises: can these everyday materials reveal something new? Driven by this kind of research curiosity, a scientific project by a student of Riga State Classical Gymnasium was carried out at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, exploring the production of paper from black tea residues combined with different types of fibres. The project was conducted by 11th-grade student Xinru Xie in collaboration with the LSIWC Cellulose Laboratory. The scientific...

This week, the visiting researcher from Canada delivered a presentation at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry. Laval University PhD student Manon Mestre specializes in improving adhesives for wood-based composites, with particular emphasis on reducing formaldehyde emissions and enhancing moisture resistance. Manon’s research is conducted at Laval University’s Renewable Materials Research Centre, which brings together studies on the properties of wood, biomass, and bio-polymers, the development of innovative materials, and the assessment of their environmental impacts. Her work is...

On 20 January 2026, at a meeting of the Senate of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the decisions of the LAS award expert committees regarding the granting of named prizes and young scientist awards were approved. The Arvīds Kalniņš Named Prize in Wood Science was awarded to Dr. sc. ing. Aivars Žūriņš, Leading Researcher of the Biorefinery Laboratory at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, for his body of work “Thermochemical Studies of Wood” and for his significant contribution to the development of wood science in Latvia. The Arvīds Kalniņš Prize for a Young Scientist was awarded to...

On 26 January, the University of Latvia (UL) Academic Centre Science House in Riga will host the Industry Day of the long-term national research programme BioPhoT. During the event, you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with current BioPhoT-funded research, innovations and prototypes, their practical applications, as well as to develop new cooperation projects. The aim of Industry Day is to strengthen the dialogue between science and industry, promote knowledge transfer and support the development of new research and innovation projects. The event will bring together representatives...