Benita Ozolina

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HANSE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER NETWORK INNOVATION
LANDSCAPE QUESTIONNAIRE
Benita Ozolina KTN meeting Sheffield, 16. 17.
february
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Riga Planning Region
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Basic regional data
Territory covers 6 Local municipalities
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Population in Riga region
The largest region in Latvia with 940787
inhabitants or 47,1 of state population.
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GDP of region at current prices
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GDP per capita
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Number of companies in the region
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Unemployment level
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Access to know-how
Project IRC (Innovation Relay Centre) Latvia IRC
LATVIA is to promote new technologies of Latvian
SMEs to saturation capacity by supporting them in
the development of existing technologies, in the
development and utilization of new technologies,
by using EU trans-national technology cooperation
services Business development Lab (Stockholm
school of economics in Riga) The ultimate goal
of the SSE Riga Business Development Laboratory
(BDL) is to boost the overall economy of Latvia
and the Baltic Region by helping to develop new
business.  This is accomplished mostly in two
ways 1) by Start-up and Spin-off Projects and 2)
by cross border projects. Business Innovation
centre of Latvian Electronic Industry (LEBIC)
It facilitates technological modernisation
within enterprises and production so promoting
export, and fosters professional training for
technical personnel.
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Access to technology
Research Universities in Riga region Riga
Technical University Enginery, inorganic
chemistry, mechanics, biotechnology, information
technology etc. University of Latvia Biology,
chemistry, physics, information technology
etc. Riga Stradin University Bio-medicine,
bio-technology
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Access to technology
There are 3203 scientists in research
institutes 14,5 M EUR RD per year is spent
in Universities sector (8 M EUR comes from the
state budget) Riga Technical University
spends around 5 M EUR per year University of
Latvia 1, 806 M EUR
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Access to technology
Information resources IRC (IRC LATVIA) IRC
LATVIA is a full member of the European
Innovation Relay Centre Network for the promotion
and support of consistent international
cooperation in technology transfer and
innovation.   -Portal Innovations.lv Portal
innovations.lv is made and maintained by
Latvian Technology Center. Here you can find
information about innovations in Latvia and other
articles about innovation based
entrepreneurship.   LTC (Latvian Technology
Center) Provide services and support for
technology, specialized consultations and
information for technologically oriented
business, support in participation on special
exhibitions advertising of new products, partner
search, etc.
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Access to technology
Information resources LIDA (Latvian Investment
and Development Agency ) The objective of LIDA
is to promote business development by
facilitating more foreign investment, in parallel
increasing the competitiveness of Latvian
entrepreneurs in both domestic and foreign
markets. LTP (Latvian Technology Park) LTP makes
annual publication "High Tech in Latvia, as well
as through Business Information Center provides
information services. Exhibitions   Company
BT1regularly organises exhibitions of materials
and technologies for industrial production,
mechanical engineering, metalworking, automation,
electronics, electrical engineering and tools.
Exhibition company PRIMA organises international
exhibitions in IT, research and innovation
spheres, such as.
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Access to technology
Patent applications There are approximately 988
patent applications per year from Riga region
enterprises and institutions Breakdown of
Patent Applications by categories
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Access to technology
Research Technology Organisations (RTO) in the
region Latvian Technology Center LTC offer
services and support for technology oriented
firms and primarily is realizing three basic
functions Business incubator, specialized
consultations and information for technologically
oriented business, as well as advisory services.
Latvian Technology park The goal of the LTP
is to support the start-up and innovations in
businesses. The offers to entrepreneurs and
researchers the management and consulting of
projects for business and product development,
marketing and partner search. The LTP also offers
premises for small production and offices in
Riga.
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Access to Funding
Business research fund Funds technology centres
and parks, and subsidizes and lends to research
SMEs. It permits many SME tenants of technology
centres to receive less expensive services and
reduce rent (39 companies, employing 280 ppl) and
technology parks (28 companies, two hundred
employees). Total amount available for support
for physical infrastructure of innovations is
about EUR 142.287,- annually.   Innovation Fund
and SME Development Fund Ministry is working on
a concept of an Innovation Fund and SME
Development Fund. The SME Development Fund would
grant micro loans and risk loans to manufacturing
SMEs, subsidize loan interest make investment in
vasic assets and development of infrastructure of
companies.
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Access to Networks
Cooperation projects for networking, where
Riga planning region is involved in. Most of them
are run together with partners from metropolis
around Baltic Sea region   Baltic Palette
II The Baltic Palette is an innovative project
with the aim to promote the Baltic Sea Region.
The project focuses on tourism, environmental
issues, infrastructure, spatial planning and
information technology. TEICO-net TEICO-net
project is oriented on studding and seeking for
improvements to facilitate beneficial cross
border cooperation in order to raise successful
innovation activity among small and medium size
enterprises (SMEs). Complementary Innovation
Strategies in the Baltic Metropolitan
Areas Project aim is to sustain development of
knowledge based economy in Baltic Sea region,
making it more competitive in global economy.
Ministry of Economics has a program with aim to
establish National Contact Points in different
Universities around Latvia (for instance, in
University of Latvia, Riga Technical University,
University of Agriculture etc.)
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Access to Networks
Business and Innovation Centres Riga industrial
park Riga Industrial Park is the first, mostly
developed and modern industrial park in Latvia,
established according to the international
standards. The park covers a territory of about
200 000 square meters. Business Park SIVA
"Business Park SIVA" main objective is to
provide local and foreign small and medium sized
companies modern and well-organised business
environment. SIVAs role on both national and
international level is to develop co-ordinate and
invest in building, infrastructure and premises
for SME. Nordic Industrial Park (NIP) Nordic
Industrial Park is a service concept that allows
its tenants to achieve various cost savings by
sharing resources and costs inside the Park and
to reach their own goals at a minimum time and
cost. NIP offers industrial, warehouse,
conference and office premises for rent. The goal
of NIP is to attract foreign companies setting up
their businesses in Latvia by providing
favourable business environment and an extensive
range of services and to make it easy for local
companies to launch their businesses in a modern
and safe business environment
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Access to Networks
Business and Innovation Centres Nordic
Technology Park Goal is to attract foreign
companies setting up their businesses in Latvia
by providing favourable business environment and
an extensive range of services and to make it
easy for local companies to launch their
businesses in a modern and safe business
environment. Baltic Business Park Baltic
Business Park offers the ideal office,
manufacturing and distribution location in the
Baltic States of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Adjacent to Riga International Airport, Baltic
Business Park offers proximity to transportation,
communications, people and markets, exactly what
your business needs for successful operations.
AS Dambis Joint Stock Company DAMBIS was
founded in 1992. It was among the first
undertakings privatised in its industry branch.
The company is specialized in production of
electronic, electric and telecommunication
equipment. Additionally to production of
telecommunication switches, beginning with the
1998 manufacture of automated test equipment and
technological modules for assembly lines of
electronic equipment was developed very rapidly.
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Access to Networks
Incubation facilities in the region Business
Innovation Centre of LTP The Centre constantly
provides manufacturers, scientific institutes,
industrial enterprises and other local or
international institutions and organizations with
information about participation opportunities in
different projects. The Centre helps in issuing
business plans, finding cooperation partners
abroad (and vice versa), offers consultancy in
protection and evaluation of intellectual
property. Latvian Technology Centre The main
LTC firm activities are laboratory instrument
production for medicine and biotechnology,
electrical engineering and telecommunications,
computer network, software and polygraph, new
material technology and environmental
protection Latvian Technology Park offers the
basic services of the incubator        
Telecommunications Phone Fax.         Data
communication LAN Internet.         Office
service Copying Mailing service Secretary
Office supply.         Restaurant service Lunch
cafeteria. Basic information service Basic
business literature and newspapers.
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Clusters in Riga region
LIKTA The Latvian Information Technology and
Telecommunications Association unites important
part of biggest Latvian software and
telecommunication companies and around hundred
individual professional members, covering all IT
and TE sphere in Latvia electronic, computer
hardware and software, telecommunications and
service providers. ITTE ALLIANCE Alliance of
associations that unites professional
associations that represent Latvia based
enterprises, scientific and educational
institutions whose work is connected with
electronics and electrical engineering as well as
information technology and telecommunication
branches. The Alliance works on the basis of a
mutually signed contract. Currently the Alliance
unites six associations. VRUA Association of
Textile and Clothing Industry aim of the
association is to contribute to the development
of enterprises in this area. LKUEA Association
of Latvian woodworking and exporting enterprises
unites around 70 enterprises, which operate in
wood processing area.
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Clusters in Riga region
LAEC Latvian Association of Energy Construction
is the industry enterprises association, which
members operate in the field of Manufacturing of
diverse electrical equipment and devices,
electrical installation, reconstruction and
repair works, designing (supply mains,
automation, industrial electronics, software)
sale of electrical equipment and electrical
devices, consulting and rendering other services.
LABMP The Latvian association of building
material producers unites 50 construction
material manufacturing companies, that use raw
materials available in Latvia, encompassing over
90 of all the construction materials
manufactured in Latvia, but, in specific
branches, such as ceramic materials-100. LAKIFA
Latvian chemistry and pharmacy enterprises
association is formed from enterprises, which
operates in such areas as production and
distribution of pharmaceutics products, chemical
substances and reagents, rubbers, overlay
materials, washing and cleaning tools, cosmetics
and consumer goods. AMEMIL Association of
Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking
Industries of Latvia functions as an information
and consultative centre for these industrial
sectors enabling proprietors of mechanical
engineering and metalworking companies,
specialists, public organisations of technical
specialists and other interested parties to meet
and stay in touch with industry trends.
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Thank you for your attention!
Development council of Riga planning region Kr.
Valdemara 5-252, Riga, LV 1010, Latvia Phone /
Fax [phone] http//www.rigaregion.lv
Foundation Riga Region Development
Agency Ratslaukums 1, 112. kab., Riga, LV
1050 Phone [phone], fax 371
7026093 E-mail rraa_at_riga.lv, www.rigaregion.lv