Riga Became the Capital of European Space Data: The LAIK Team’s Story from “Big Data from Space 2025”
Riga Became the Capital of European Space Data: The LAIK Team’s Story from “Big Data from Space 2025”
This autumn, Riga transformed into the capital of European space data - from 29 September to 3 October, the Big Data from Space 2025 (BiDS’25) conference took place at the National Library of Latvia, becoming one of the most significant European-level events dedicated to space data, artificial intelligence, and innovation.
For the first time, this prestigious event was held in the Baltic Sea region, made possible thanks to Latvia’s associate membership in the European Space Agency (ESA).
The conference was organised by ESA, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), and the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), and the Latvian Space Industry Association (LAIK).
LAIK was one of the main co-organisers, responsible for coordinating the Exhibition Zone, Demo Zone, and One2One/B2B meetings.
Our team’s efforts created a dynamic environment for collaboration and idea exchange. The conference gathered:
Over 600 participants from more than 30 countries,
20+ organisations in the exhibition area,
300+ individual meetings connecting entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers from across Europe.
“It was more than just a conference - it was a platform where science, industry, and policymakers met to shape the future together. We were honoured to be part of this historic event,” said Lev Lapkis, Board Member of LAIK.
Special thanks go to the LAIK team - Maria Povilaite, Diana Lapkis, and Lev Lapkis – as well as our young assistants Dārta Smilga, Asadbek Normengliev, Benjamin Lapkis, and Stanislavs Tesmeneckis, whose enthusiasm and professionalism helped create a high-level event that inspired both local and international participants.
BiDS’25 in Riga demonstrated that Latvia is becoming a visible player on Europe’s space and data innovation map, and LAIK proudly continues to build bridges between science, business, and society.
The event was implemented within the framework of the ERDF project “Development of Innovative Entrepreneurship for SMEs.”
