LAIK - News

Riga Became the Capital of European Space Data: The LAIK Team’s Story from “Big Data from Space 2025”

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:34:00 +0000

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.”

🚀 Big Data from Space 2025 – for the first time in the Baltic Sea region, in Riga!

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:25:00 +0000

🚀 Big Data from Space 2025 – for the first time in the Baltic Sea region, in Riga!

An international conference taking place from 29 September to 3 October, bringing together scientists, space industry representatives, and technology experts.

👉 How can space data help predict natural disasters, improve agriculture, or strengthen cybersecurity?
We will explore the answers together with world-class experts from the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), IBM Research, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and many others.

🌍 Panel discussions, scientific sessions, industrial exhibition, hackathons, and hands-on workshops – all focused on transforming space data into real-world solutions.

🤝 One2One (B2B) sessions – a unique opportunity to meet specialists and potential partners of interest in dedicated networking meetings.

🏭 The industrial exhibition will showcase the latest developments and trends in the space sector, presented by leading European and Baltic companies and startups.

📅 Participation is free. Registration is open until 15 September:
👉 www.bigdatafromspace2025.org

📌 Conference language: English

This event is organized within the framework of the ERDF project “Development of Innovative Business for SMEs”.

📣 Opportunity for school students: CASSINI Space Camp 2025 in Jūrmala!

Sat, 31 May 2025 09:30:00 +0000

🌌 Are you aged 14-18, studying in a school in Latvia and fascinated by space, science or technology? Then the CASSINI Space Camp 2025 is made for you! Taking place in Jūrmala, this 8-day summer camp will take you on a journey into the world of satellites, AI, astronomy and space business.

🗓️ 23-30 July 2025 in Bulduri

🛰 What’s in store?
• Work with real satellite data from Copernicus and Galileo
• Discover how space helps solve real-world problems
• Meet and learn from Latvia’s top space experts
• Enjoy games, team missions and inspiring excursions

🎯 No experience needed – just your curiosity, creativity and English skills!
Only 35 places available – secure yours now (participation is free of charge)

🔗 Learn more & apply: https://www.cassini.eu/spacecamps/latvia

👨‍🚀 Organised by LAIK – Latvian Space Industry Association and YStreet

Latvia takes a significant step toward closer collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 08:58:00 +0000

On March 19, as part of the official visit of Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže to India, a high-level meeting took place with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) - one of the world’s leading and fastest-growing space agencies.

The ISRO delegation expressed interest in continuing discussions with Latvia at a technical level in the following areas:

Satellite data processing for forest management;
Radioisotope energy source technologies (Deep Space Energy);
Quantum communication and other applications of Eventech products.

Latvia’s national priorities in the space sector are:

Development of satellite data-based services for forest and land management;
Excellence in niche technologies and bilateral cooperation in applying them to space missions and the creation of commercial products.

LAIK will initiate intensive work in the coming weeks to guide and coordinate technical cooperation discussions between Latvian companies and ISRO, in close collaboration with the Latvian Embassy in India.

Latvia’s space industry was represented by:

LAIK (Latvian Space Industry Association), through its authorized representative Mihails Ščepanskis, CEO of Deep Space Energy, and
Pavels Razmajevs from the company Eventech.

The delegation was led by Minister Baiba Braže, with participation from:

Latvia’s Ambassador to India, Juris Bone, and his team;
Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department for Promotion of External Economic Relations, Gints Zadraks;
Deputy Director of the Export and Innovation Department of LIAA, Inese Šīrava.

This visit marks the beginning of a new level of cooperation between Latvia and ISRO, and affirms the potential of Latvia’s capable, innovation-based industry to become a trusted partner on a global scale.

We are grateful to Minister Baiba Braže and her office for making it possible for us to be welcomed by senior ISRO officials, as well as to LIAA and Latvian Ministry of Economics for their preparatory work on this visit.

In India, we met with:

Mr. M. Ganesh Pillai, ISRO Scientific Secretary,
Dr. J.V. Thomas, Director of Earth Observation & Disaster Management Support Program,
Mr. A. Arunachalam, Executive and Technical Director of NewSpace India Limited (commercial arm of ISRO),
Dr. Veeramuthuvel, Director of Space Infrastructure Program and Chandrayaan-3 program,
Mr. B. Behera, Associate Scientific Secretary at ISRO HQ,
Ms. Anitha Nandhini, Director at India’s Department of Space,
Mr. Sivakumar R, Associate Director, Office for International and Interagency Cooperation,
Mr. Raghu Meetei, Associate Director, Directorate for Technology Development and Innovation,
Mr. Ganesh Mohan, Associate Director, Indian National Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe),
Mr. Afjal Das, Program Manager, SATNAV-PO.

ISRO’s arsenal includes a full spectrum of launch vehicles—from economically and commercially efficient LEO launchers to heavy launchers, such as the one that recently carried out the extremely successful Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon’s polar region. ISRO is also rapidly developing its own independent Earth Observation and navigation satellite network. ISRO’s 2024 budget was approximately $2 billion.

The visit to India was carried out with the support of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), under the agreement for export support services No. 9.3-1-L-2025/32.

DAIF Latvia and LAIK sign a cooperation agreement for the development of Latvian Space sector

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:59:00 +0000

The agreement will enhance the competitiveness of Latvian space industry companies, facilitate technology and knowledge transfer, and reinforce security at both the national and international levels.

“This agreement is essential for leveraging the potential of space technology for the mutual synergy of the Latvian security and defense industry. Cooperation with LAIK will allow us to rapidly develop at the national and international levels," says Elīna Egle-Ločmele, Chairwoman of the Board of DAIF Latvia.

LAIK board member Lev Lapkis highlights: “The development of space technology is crucial for the growth of the Latvian economy and national security. Joint projects with DAIF Latvia will allow local companies and research institutions to engage more actively in international initiatives.”

The agreement also envisions closer cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agency, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defense Industry and Space, the European Defense Agency, the European Space Agency, and other specialized organizations, ensuring that the Latvian industry contributes to international security and enhances its competitive edge.

This day is given special significance as the memorandum was signed on International Pi Day - a day that honors the wonders of mathematics and science. Pi (π), the infinite number that defines the ratio between a circle’s circumference and its diameter, has become a symbol of precision and innovation. Pi Day brings together math enthusiasts and science lovers around the world, inspiring us to explore creative solutions and advance technological development.

OPPORTUNITY: 7th CASSINI hackathon in Latvia: Environment & Green Transition

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 18:36:00 +0000

Latvia is among the 10 countries organizing the 7th Cassini Hackathon, which will take place on 13-15 September 2024. The aim is to develop satellite data-based solutions for sustainable development. The event is organized by the Latvian Space Industry Association and will be supported by several partners and four challenge owners, who will share real-world problems and opportunities that can be harnessed using Earth observation and satellite navigation data.

On 13-15 September 2024, the Latvian Space Industry Association, together with its partners, will organize the 7th edition of the CASSINI Hackathon: Environment & Green Transition. The event will take place simultaneously in nine other countries: Spain, Romania, Poland, Norway, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Croatia, and Albania.

Target audience: experts, students, and enthusiasts in IT, environmental sciences, business, and communication. If you have experience working with satellite data - great! If not - also great, as we will provide technical sessions and support in Earth Observation and satellite navigation.

Date: 13-15 September 2024

Location: RTU Science and Innovation Center, Ķīpsalas Street 6A, Riga.

Website & registration: https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/latvia

Objective: sustainability initiative ideas with commercial potential using the EU Space Programme's freely accessible Earth Observation (Copernicus programme) and satellite navigation (Galileo and EGNOS programmes) data. Additionally, Latvia’s hackathon partner, Airbus, will provide free access to commercial high-resolution Earth Observation data!

Support for teams: the teams wil receive support from experts in satellite data analysis, business development and communication.

Subthemes: a wide range of cooperation partners will be involved in the hackathon, including the challenge owners, who will provide specific tasks for the participants:

Riga City Council will invite participants to develop digitalization ideas for smart cities;
Latvian National Peat Socienty is looking for ways to use satellite data in peatland and bog management, as well as in greenhouse gas emission calculations;
Private Forest seeks ideas for using satellite data to support a sustainable and efficient forestry business;
Gravity Team will challenge participants to use blockchain for satellite data verification and tracking in sustainable development, providing technical support for the use of blockchain technology.

*Participants can also propose other solutions; the main criterion is that they relate to sustainable development and use satellite data.

Support for teams: the teams will receive support from experts in satellite data analysis, business development, and communication.

Prizes:

3^rd place € 400
2^nd place € 700
1^st place € 1,000 & and the chance to compete with other countries' hackathon winners for additional cash prizes and mentorship!

*More information on extra prizes of the cooperation partners to come!

European-level competition & start-up party: on 18 September 2024, a Demo Day event will take place, where the Latvian hackathon winner will compete online with other countries' hackathon winners. To support the Latvian team and celebrate this achievement, the Latvian Space Industry Association will organize this event in cooperation with the EIT Community Officer, inviting Latvia's deep tech ecosystem and all Latvia's CASSINI hackathon participants. During the event, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia will present business support instruments for the further development of hackathon ideas and the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) about EU Space Programme’s opportunities for business and science.

1^st place € 5,000
2^nd place € 3,000
3^rd place € 1,000

About CASSINI and the EU Space Programme: CASSINI is a space business support programme and is part of the EU Space Programme.

The EU Space Programme has several elements, including programmes that provide data from EU satellites: the EU Earth Observation programme Copernicus and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Galileo and EGNOS. These programs have global coverage, and their data is freely available for both scientific and commercial applications. Copernicus data is updated every 1-5 days, and Galileo data is even more accurate than GPS!

Data obtained from space is actively used in digitalisation solutions not only by professionals but also by the general public without specialised education in space, and increasingly in business. Satellite data can be used for information analysis, monitoring, and decision support in the following areas:

Air quality and atmospheric chemical composition monitoring;
Monitoring and management of forests, seas, rivers, lakes, bogs and agricultural fields, etc.
Climate change and weather forecasts
Energy, defense and critical infrastructure security
Discovery and protection of cultural heritage
Smart agriculture, crop and livestock activities
Detection of Earth's movements and related hazards
Emergency response planning for rapid action by emergency and rescue services
Road, maritime and air transport
Smart logistics and smart city solutions, infrastructure development planning
Security and defense, and more.

Largest scientific technology event in the Baltics - Deep Tech Atelier - will place online from April 14 to 16

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 18:12:00 +0000

The largest and most exciting event of the deep-tech industry in the Baltics is back!

With 30+ speakers, including our keynote speakers Igor Beuker, Rick Tumlinson, Dr. Ashkan Fardost we will be exploring space tech, med-tech, and science commercialization. Live from Riga, Latvia.

Online free registration is open as of this moment till April 13th, 2021. Do not put off – use your opportunity to be part of the deep-tech ecosystem and create something unique.
Register here: https://deeptechatelier.com/register/
More information at https://deeptechatelier.com.

We welcome everyone, who are or want to become part of the Baltic deep-tech start-up ecosystem: current and aspiring entrepreneurs and deep tech startuppers, researchers, scientists and technology developers, early-stage investors and industry representatives, accelerators, universities and research institutions, government officials, and agencies, career change seekers, business and technology students, everybody interested in deep-tech and knowledge-based business.

We will come together to learn, to share experience and knowledge, to participate in practical workshops, and most of all – create new long-lasting and sustainable partnerships. Now, more than ever – we need to transform our unstable reality into growth. Build diversified and stronger economies, explore space to benefit Earth, find a cure instead of just treatment, drive positive climate change, and do so much more. We believe it can be achieved if we transform scientific excellence into market success.

Latvian teams offer futuristic solutions to the international space industry

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 09:25:00 +0000

The international space hackathon “Act in Space” has also ended in Latvia. It took place for 24 hours in 75 cities in 45 countries around the world. The winner of the Latvian competition - a solution for continuous observation using nano-satellites - will now compete for the main prize in the international competition: weightless flight with an Airbus A310 Zero G aircraft.

"This was my 21st hackathon, in which I have participated, and the second "Act in Space” hackathon - in the first “Act in Space” hackathon my team got the 2nd place, this time I managed to win. From the very beginning, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to work on, and with the support of my team members, we managed to implement it. Many thanks to the mentors as well, without their knowledge and support the outcome would not be as good. Participation in the international competition is a good motivation for me and the team to move towards the implementation of the idea, and we have the necessary competencies to implement it.” says Shravan Koundina Vutukuru, a representative of the winning team and a researcher at Riga Technical University.

The team "xT saam" won the 2nd place in the Latvian competition of hackathon "Act in Space". The team hopes to change the way the space industry gets the resources it needs by providing fully automated production in space. This would mean more efficient use of resources on Earth and the Moon, increased safety for people on the Moon, as well as reduce the risk of environmental hazards. The technology developed by the team is based on active learning and machine learning algorithms. The prize of this team is further cooperation with the Latvian Space Industry Association (LAIK) in developing the idea.

The hackathon jury awarded the 3rd place to two teams - "Skylar" and "MaxSpace". Skylar offers to produce green energy from underwater volcanoes using space data. The team found high underwater volcanic activity off the coasts of Chile and Japan. These regions will provide satellite data that will be processed by artificial intelligence. The information will then be manually transmitted to a unmanned vessel, which will collect energy with the help of submarine turbines.

The other 3rd place winner - the "MaxSpace" team - wants to develop a "Don't let us die" application for smartphones. It would make it possible to compare landscapes now and in the future if climate change continues at its current rate. This application would also offer additional challenges on how to sort waste properly and how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions on a daily basis.

Both teams that won 3rd place were awarded prizes and especially praised by one of the event organizers - the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA). "We are pleased that a hackathon dedicated to the space industry got the interested of so many people. The ideas put forward by the 13 teams were exciting and it is very likely that one of them will soon make a significant contribution to space exploration. From the perspective of LIAA, we highly appreciate the ideas related to green innovations, which can ensure a relatively fast return in the national economy,” points out Reinis Āzis, LIAA's Deputy Director for Investment.

The great interest is also assessed as a positive indicator by Pauls Irbins, the head of the Latvian Space Industries Association (LAIK), as well as the other organizer of the event: “The most important thing was the huge interest because more than 100 potential participants applied! This means that the space industry is becoming more and more interesting. More and more people see it as potential for both business and their careers. As for the practical solutions, I think that we were well prepared for the work in a remote format in time - we had built a professional studio, which both allowed us to try different technical possibilities and was attractive to the spectators and participants. As for the ideas, there were simple ideas from people who had never been in contact with the space industry before. Thus, hackathon was a good opportunity both to learn more about technology and to understand the industry. But there were also people with in-depth knowledge and experience in programming, computer science and robotics. They worked on concrete solutions. Almost half of them were such technological ideas that they received honorary prizes.”

The 24-hour hackathon "Act In Space" is taking place for the fourth time and is organized by the French Space Agency in cooperation with the European Space Agency and its network of business incubators. For the first time due to the pandemic, the hackathon took place remotely, which was a big challenge for the event organizers, but everyone managed it successfully. In total, 70 participants took part in the Latvian hackathon, forming 13 teams. 20 mentors worked with them. One of them, Yoav Landsman, is an entrepreneur in Israel who invests in space technology and is a huge enthusiast in the industry. He's deemed the Elon Musk of the Isreali space industry. Yoav has more than 20 years of experience in the space industry and is the Deputy Director of the first Israeli Mission to the Moon.

The international space hackathon Act In Space was supported by global companies such as Airbus and Continental. The organizers of the Latvian event are the Latvian Space Industry Association (LAIK) and the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA).

Act In Space hackathon 2020

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:24:00 +0000

Discover the potential of space-based technology and challenge your entrepreneurial self!

NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED. You'll be coached, advised and encouraged by top technical and business experts transforming your idea into a winning business concept in just 24 hours!

PARTICIPATION
We invite everybody interested - health care specialists, students, programmers, marketing experts and others. And maybe it will be your team that wins the grand prize and changes the world for the better with space tech!

Hackathon is FREE of charge. You only need to register here: https://actinspace.org/

ABOUT
Act In Space is a 24hr non-stop hackathon format created by the

CNES

(French National Space Agency) and the

ESA - European Space Agency

that runs worldwide every 2 years. Each participating country organizes a national hackathon whose winner will participate in the international final. This Facebook event is dedicated for teams in Latvia who will have a chance to present their ideas in the global Act in Space finale.

Space Based solutions cover a wide spectrum of sectors - healthcare, aerospace, AI, telecommunications, logistics, etc. We will help hackathon participants understand and take advantage of:
- Satellite Navigation,
- Satellite Communication,
- Earth Observation,
- Spaceflight Technologies and other topics.

THE PROCESS
From November 13 - 14 participants will be solving challenges chosen from the global Act in Space list.
Teams of max 5 people each, will be mentored by different field experts with a goal to develop a prototype.

CHALLENGES & REGISTRATION - https://actinspace.org/

PROGRAMME - details TBC, but we'll start at 18 PM on November 13th Riga time.

PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES!
The team from Latvia will win a ticket to Toulouse to present further their prototype/idea concept there. This will give the opportunity to compete with teams from other countries in the grand finale and get some of the grand prizes listed below.

THE GRAND FINALE PRIZES
AIS2020 GRAND PRIZE-Have you ever dreamt of free floating in the air like an astronaut? Win your ticket for the weightless experience on the Airbus A310 Zero G!

Airbus entrepreneurship prize - Winners of the Airbus Entrepreneurship Prize receive €100,000 of satellite-derived data from the Airbus OneAtlas digital platform.

Airbus innovation prize - Win a flight training session on an A320 simulator and visit a satellite integration room and 3D facilities.

Suez Environment prize - Discover the key role played by water in the environment protection, discover SUEZ’s behind-the-scenes!

And many other amazing prizes!

MENTORS
Field experts in IT, Electronics, Environment surveillance, Business Development and Latvian Space Agency (LAIK) members. Also, there will be access to international experts from abroad. Names TBC.

Due to the global scope, event will be primarily held in English.

ORGANIZERS & SUPPORTERS
The Latvian edition event is organized by

Latvijas Investīciju un attīstības aģentūra - LIAA

Izglītības un zinātnes ministrija

LAIK - Latvijas Kosmosa Industrijas Asociācija

. We are supported by European Regional Development Funding and

RTU - Rīgas Tehniskā universitāte

Act In Space 2020 Intro webinar - Earth observation

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:20:00 +0000

Learn about Earth observation data and how you could use them in Act in Space hackathon from Nov 13th to 14th.

Join this webinar to find out more about Act in Space 2020 hackathon and Earth Observation.

WEBINAR PROGRAMME:

"Why Act in Space?" by Pauls Irbins

Pauls is the President of LAIK and moderator of the Act in Space 2020 Latvia.

Overview of challenges by Lev Lapkis

Lev is LAIK Member of the board and RD Alfa microelectronics Head of Business development.

"Copernicus data and application: case studies from the Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES)" by Dainis Jakovels.

Dainis works in Latvias Institute for Environmental Solutions. He will be one of the hackathon mentors. Dainis experience covers the application of remote sensing data (including Sentinel satellite data) in different themes (e.g., monitoring of grasslands, agricultural lands, forests and lakes).

"Applications of remote sensing data: examples and case studies" by Linda Gulbe.

Linda works in Ventspils University of Applied Sciences. She will be one of hackathons mentors. Her daily job is to develop machine learning / deep learning solutions for providing significant information for environmental monitoring, education and business.

Q&A session