New Special Partner at Spaceport 2024: Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

We are happy to introduce our new special partner for Spaceport 2024 – Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), a governmental organization with a goal to promote exports from Latvia and foster new partnerships in the space industry.  

“With European Space Agency (ESA) associate membership since 2020 and several success stories contributing to major international missions, the Latvian space industry is steadily growing and drawing global attention. The new partnership will showcase the Latvian space infrastructure and technologies, and bring a new perspective on how we can cooperate closer in space projects as a broader region of the Nordics,” says Ole Dokka, Founder and Executive Director of Spaceport.

“Currently, there are more than 100 ESA projects in Latvia’s portfolio and several initiatives linked to the European Union’s (EU) Space Program. We have already entered three ambitious space missions: the Lunar Gateway, the Hera mission and the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking partnership. One of our key assets in space infrastructure is Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre of Ventspils University, which operates the Irbene radio telescope complex. The complex includes the largest radio telescope in the North (32-meter Cassegrain antenna) and a 16-meter Cassegrain antenna perfect for the Moon economy. The facility plays an important role in global space exploration, spacecraft communications, deep space missions, and space weather monitoring. Soon, the facilities will start delivering commercial services in communications,” explains Angelina Bekasova, the Senior Expert for Space and Innovation Policy at the Ministry of Economics of Latvia.

“We are excited to partner with Spaceport, the leading space industry meeting place in the Nordics, and to expand our close cooperation with Norway into the space domain. Already thanks to the collaboration with Norway, Latvia recently opened the Space Knowledge Center in Cesis. This center functions as a science and edutainment complex for youngsters, their teachers, and experienced space enthusiasts, igniting a passion for space exploration in children. Along with 8 science organizations and significant space infrastructure that contribute to space research, Latvia brings strong space industry competencies, such as electronics and smart materials, satellite data applications, and much more – all that we are looking forward to showcasing at Spaceport 2024,” emphasizes Austris Keiss, Director of Export Promotion to Norway at LIAA.  

Latvia has around 50 organizations working in the space domain, including both business and R&D sector. The industry framework is outlined in the Space Strategy of Latvia 2021-2027.

The key existing industry competences in Latvia can be summarized as:

• INFRASTRUCTURE, including telescopes, space environment simulation facilities and cleanrooms.
• TECHNOLOGIES, encompassing electronics, smart materials and insulation, smart engineering, energy, photonics and precision instruments.
• DATA, especially Earth Observation data-based applications for forests, agriculture, sea, and smart cities, as well as space exploration data.
• SCIENCE, involving education and research, scientific instruments, summer schools and scientific equipment.

Learn more about the Latvian space companies in the Latvian space portal:

• Latvian Technology in Space

Feel free to contact us:

Austris Keiss

Director of Export Promotion to Norway at LIAA

austris.keiss@liaa.gov.lv

+47 477 20 599

Angelina Bekasova

Senior Expert for Space and Innovation Policy at the Ministry of Economics of Latvia

Angelina.bekasova@em.gov.lv

+371 67013217

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