Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry

On 26 January 2026, the BioPhoT Industry Day will take place at the University of Latvia (UL) Academic Centre, House of Science, Jelgavas Street 3, Riga. The event will offer an opportunity to meet professionals in the field and learn about the latest BioPhoT research, solutions, and collaboration opportunities. Companies are invited to submit their technological challenges for the event in the dedicated Industry Challenge section on the BioPhoT website by 30 December. More information about this initiative and the benefits of participating will be provided in thematic webinars on 11 December. The aim of the BioPhoT Industry Day is to foster closer cooperation between science and industry by strengthening the fields of biomedicine, medical technologies, pharmaceuticals, photonics, smart materials, technology and engineering systems, thus creating a favourable environment for new collaborative projects, technological solutions and innovative ideas. The event will bring together companies, research institutions and public-sector experts to promote closer science–industry cooperation, present ongoing BioPhoT projects and new ideas eligible for BioPhoT funding, and discuss practical models for collaboration. Thematic working sessions will highlight current sector challenges and research opportunities. The event is free of charge for all participants; registration: https://luma.com/i81hmsl0 For industry partners, this is an opportunity to gain direct insight into the BioPhoT research and innovation portfolio and to identify collaboration pathways with the highest added value: The BioPhoT Industry Challenge is an initiative inviting companies to submit specific industry-related technological challenges that require specialized research, laboratory infrastructure, or high-level scientific expertise. Selected challenges will be presented during the thematic working sessions at Industry Day, enabling companies to present their needs directly to researchers and to initiate targeted collaborations. What is Industry Challenge and how to apply – in English The deadline for companies to submit applications for participation in the Industry Challenge initiative at Industry Day is 30 December.

In order to ensure a common understanding of the key stages, terminology and cooperation mechanisms of technology transfer and to strengthen institutional competences in this field, technology transfer and intellectual property experts, researchers and other interested parties are invited to participate in the webinar series “Technology Transfer Fundamentals: From Idea to Innovation”. On 12 February at 10.00, European Patent Attorney Dr. sc. ing. Artis Kromanis will share his knowledge and practical experience in the webinar “Invention Discovery, Valuation and Protection”. The webinar will cover: discovering (fixing) inventions during research and development; Initial assessment of the disclosed (fixed) invention - patent search and discretion analysis; steps, timelines and life cycle for protecting an invention; methods for determining the value of an invention. Working language: latvian Norise: Zoom platform Registration: https://luma.com/7qi5gqw8 Participants have until 9 February to send their questions to alise.ose@osi.lv.

The first International Conference for Young Scientists on Biorefinery Technologies and Products "BTechPro!" was established in 2022 by the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, and so far it has gained a lot of recognition and proven to be a valuable platform for students and early stage researchers to actively present their research topics, attend workshops and plenary lectures, and participate in networking activities. The previous BTechPro! edition gathered almost 100 participants from 14 countries. Information about the conference is available on www.btechpro.lv. The next BTechPro! conference will be held in 2026, and more details will be published soon. The organisers may be contacted by e-mail btechpro@kki.lv (for participants, sponsors, lecturers, partners).

Students from Latvian universities are welcome to take part in " Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge - Europe BISC-E". The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry is the National Coordinator of the BSIC-E competition. BSIC-E is an annual student competition organised by Bio-Based Industries Consortium (BIC). It aims to stimulate entrepreneurship and award excellence. BISC-E seeks to raise awareness and involve students in the transition towards a bio-based economy. Important dates 30.01.2026. deadline to express interest in participation in the BISC-E latvian final. Contact Kristine Meile by e-mail to learn more kristine.meile@kki.lv 20.02.2026. deadline for registration of the teams 10.04.2026. deadline for submitting the innovation portfolios 07.05.2026. in-person presentations and discussion with the jury at the BTechPro2026 conference