News

Within the Latvian research landscape, funding instruments offered by the European Research Council (ERC) are gaining increasing importance, providing researchers with the opportunity to implement high-level and internationally competitive projects. To support Latvian researchers in preparing for participation in these calls, an online seminar “Learning from Experience: Submitting ERC Starting Grant Applications” is being organized. The event is dedicated to sharing experiences with leading researchers who have prepared and submitted ERC Starting Grant applications and participated in the...

The future of European aviation is unimaginable without hydrogen. Both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union have set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in aviation by 2050 ( Euractiv 2020; Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2020).This means that the industry is now focused on new aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen (LH₂), along with new technologies to make these solutions safe and efficient. That is why the Polymer Laboratory at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry is implementing the PUR4LH2, led by Dr. Vladimirs Jakušins. The project’s aim is to...

This summer, Laima Vēvere, researcher at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC), is starting the European Course of Cryogenics (ECC) — an inter-university academic program that, over three weeks, covers both the fundamentals of cryogenics and cryogenic processes. The course is conducted in English and combines lectures, laboratory sessions, and technical excursions across three countries — Germany, Poland, and Norway. Why is it important? The significance of this course for LSIWC and the wider sector is closely tied to the development and application of the institute’s...

From 11 to 14 August 2025, Iceland’s capital Reykjavík has become the meeting place for around 200 scientists, engineers, and early-career researchers from around the world. The Dynamic Polymer Networks Meeting 2025 brings together participants from North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania to discuss the latest advances in covalent adaptable networks, vitrimers, and non-covalent dynamic polymer networks. The conference speakers represent countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, China, Japan, Singapore...

On the evening of August 12, Europe’s newest launch vehicle, Ariane 6, lifted off for the third time from the European Spaceport in French Guiana, placing a new satellite into orbit for weather forecasting and climate monitoring. This successful launch strengthens Europe’s independent access to space. “The success of this second commercial launch confirms Ariane 6’s performance, reliability, and precision,” emphasized ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion in an interview with Euronews. The satellite, developed by Airbus Defence and Space, will provide new data to the European Organisation for the...

ZEST is a Horizon Europe research project aimed at developing a sustainable and efficient method for protein production using fungal fermentation and digital modelling. The project addresses a global challenge – the growing demand for protein that traditional production methods cannot sustainably meet. ZEST plans to implement technologies with global impact by enabling production as close as possible to the consumer, thereby reducing the carbon footprint associated with logistics. Fungal protein is a promising solution to this challenge, given its versatility in utilising various raw materials...