A memorandum of cooperation on the development of Latvia's health innovation ecosystem has been signed

Photos from BKUS archives

On Friday 11 October, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), the Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS), and Riga Technical University. The aim of the memorandum is to promote and support the development of the Latvian health research and innovation ecosystem, to make Latvia a leader in patient-centred medical technologies and healthcare innovation, and to develop cooperation between healthcare, academic institutions, and the private sector.

This partnership will foster interdisciplinary medical technology innovation, support the development and commercialisation of new healthcare solutions, and improve access to modern healthcare services for the Latvian population.

RSU Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Assoc. Prof. Dins Šmits (centre) points out: ‘The main objective of the cooperation between the three parties outlined in the memorandum is to create an ecosystem where researchers, medical institutions, public administration institutions and the technology sector work together to promote technology transfer and innovation development.

In this partnership, the RSU represents academic and research expertise in health and social sciences and technology transfer.

There are many challenges in the health sector and technological innovation is key to addressing them. Health technology transfer is currently very low in Latvia and we believe that this cooperation will help to develop it.’

The cooperation between BKUS, RTU and RSU started almost two years ago as a project of the Education Innovation Laboratory of the Riga Business School (RBS) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ‘I am delighted to see this important cooperation project entering the next phase of development,’ says Viesturs Kuļikovskis, member of the RBS Advisory Board and mentor of the programme. ‘Through the programme, all stakeholders have developed a new approach to meaningful cooperation in a project that will become one of the pillars of innovation in healthcare.

Mentors from RBS and MTI worked with the team from all the institutions involved to develop the idea, establish the terms of cooperation and design future scenarios. The signed Memorandum is the result of this work.’