Program

Date

Thursday, 5 March 2026

Location

Portrait Hall, 3rd Floor
Latvian Academy of Sciences

9:00 – 10:00

Registration & Early Morning Coffee

10:00 – 10:50

Opening Ceremony

Musical Performance

Opening Address

Prof., Dr. Ivars Kalviņš – President and Academician of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

Address

Prof., Dr. Inese Vaidere – Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on International Trade, Member of Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Address

MBA Viktors Valainis – Minister of Economics of the Republic of Latvia

Address

MBA Kaspars Melnis – Minister of Climate and Energy of the Republic of Latvia

Address

M.S. Vita Balode Andrews – Director of the Export and Innovation Services Department of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Address

Prof., Dr. Valerii Zhuk – Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine

Address

Dr. Zbigņevs Stankevičs – Archbishop of Riga of the Roman Catholic Church of Latvia, Metropolitan, Honorary Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

Moderator: Dr. Nina Linde, Director of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

10:50 – 13:00

1st Plenary Session

Open Innovation in the Era of Geopolitical Unrest

Dr. Solomon Darwin – Business Consultant to Nobel Laureates & Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley Campus, Former Director of the Garwood Centre for Corporate Innovation and Centre for Growth Markets of the University of California - Berkeley, Founder of the Smart Village Movement & Open Innovation Solutions for Emerging Markets, Director of Open Innovation at the University of California of Santa Cruz, USA

Building the Technological Competences for a European Renaissance

Dr. Daniele Archibugi – Professor of the Universitas Mercatorum in Rome & Birkbeck Business School, University of London, Renowned Italian Economist and Innovation Policy Expert focusing on Technological Change and Globalization, Italy/UK

World Macroeconomic Climate at the Beginning of 2026

Dr. Andrei Rădulescu – Senior International Macroeconomist, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, Member of Think Tanks in Several Countries, Macroeconomic Columnist in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Romania

Human Capital, Responsibility, and Sustainable Growth in a Fragmented World

Dr. Pamela Bernabei – Entrepreneur, President of the Antonio Meneghetti Scientific and Humanistic Research Foundation – a Swiss no-profit Foundation in Special Consultative Status with Economic and Social Council of United Nations (ECOSOC), Switzerland

Who Gets Heard Shapes What Gets Built: Leadership for a Changing Economy

Dr. Anthony Giannoumis – Social Entrepreneur, Global Expert in Inclusive Leadership, Chair of the Board of the "Inclusive Creation", Equality Advocate, Norway

Moderator: Gerald Hoppstaedter, Entrepreneur, Adviser to the Director of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Austria

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch and Coffee Break

B2B, B2S, S2S networking

14:00 – 15:30

Panel Experts Question & Answer Session

Ivars Kalviņš – President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Solomon Darwin – Director of Open Innovation at the University of California of Santa Cruz, USA

Daniele Archibugi – Professor of the Universitas Mercatorum in Rome & Birkbeck Business School, University of London, Italy/UK

Pamela Bernabei – President of the A. Meneghetti Scientific and Humanistic Research Foundation, Switzerland

Andrei Rădulescu – Senior International Macroeconomist, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, Romania

Anthony Giannoumis – Global Expert in Inclusive Leadership, Chair of the Board of the "Inclusive Creation", Social Entrepreneur, Equality Advocate, Norway

Reinhold Schneider – Chairperson of the Board of the Foreign Investors' Council in Latvia (FICIL), Entrepreneur, Head of the Board of the "SCHWENK Latvija", Germany

Moderator: Gerald Hoppstaedter, Entrepreneur, Adviser to the Director of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Austria

15:30 – 16:00

Coffee Break

B2B, B2S, S2S networking

16:00 – 17:30

2nd Plenary Session

Innovations in Smart Specialization Areas for Increasing Latvia's Export Capacity: the Latest Research Results

Dr. Jānis Vanags – Lead Researcher of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Building Semiconductor Manufacturing Ecosystem in India

Sagar Sharma – Entrepreneur, Indian Expert in Semiconductors, Head of Business Intelligence & Strategic Affairs at the "Tata Electronics", He was Instrumental in Attracting over USD 18 Billion in Semiconductor Investments, Developing the Semicon India Strategy and Policy, and Establishing the India Semiconductor Mission, India

Corporate Governance as a Strategic Factor in Export Competitiveness and Innovative Development in the Context of Geo-Economic Transformation

Dr. Abdraim Bakytzhan – Ph.D in Law, Professor, Advisor to the Center "Freedom Horizons", Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan

Competitiveness Through Smart Innovation and Independence in the Energy Sector

Reinhold Schneider – Chairperson of the Board of the Foreign Investors' Council in Latvia (FICIL), Entrepreneur, Head of the Board of the "SCHWENK Latvija", SCHWENK Northern Europe CEO, Germany

Moderator: Nina Linde, Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

17:30 – 18:00

End of Day 1: Coffee, Snacks & Networking

Date

Friday, 6 March 2026

Location

Portrait Hall, 3rd Floor
Latvian Academy of Sciences

10:00 – 11:00

Registration & Morning Coffee

11:00 – 11:30

International Women's Day Award "LIEPA" Ceremony

Special Event

In cooperation with the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), Latvian Academy of Sciences & the INDUSTRA Bank

Moderator

Dr. Nina Linde

Director of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

11:30 – 12:00

Inspirational Workshop: The Respect Advantage: Innovation Through Inclusion

Moderator

Dr. Anthony Giannoumis

Social Entrepreneur, Global Expert in Inclusive Leadership, Chair of the Board of the "Inclusive Creation", Equality Advocate, Norway

12:15 – 14:15

Side Events - Workshops (Session 1)

Knowledge Based Bioeconomy & Finance for Startups

Location: Senate Hall, 2nd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

Dr. Baiba Rivža

Professor, Academician of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Egija Aurēlija Liepiņa

Senior Expert of the Department of Entrepreneurship Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economics, Latvia

Dr. Irina Pilvere

Professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Science, Latvia

Dr. Damyan Kirechev

Chief Assistant Professor at the University of Economics – Varna, Department of Agricultural Economics, Bulgaria

Roberts Alhimionoks

Executive Director of the Latvian Startup Association "Startin.LV"

Dr. Valerii Zhuk

Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine

Dr. Stanislav Vasylishyn

Professor, Director of the Institute of Accounting and Finance of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Leading Researcher of the NSC "Institute of Agrarian Economics", Ukraine

Driving Sustainability: Enabling Energy Technologies Through Policy and Support

Location: 2nd Auditorium, 3rd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

Dr. Andris Anspoks

Director of the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Felikss Bikaunieks

Senior Expert of the Department of Entrepreneurship Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economics, Latvia

Raimonds Kašs

Director of the Department of Financial Instruments of the Ministry of Climate and Energy, Latvia

New Asian Markets: Export, Investment & Geopolitical Shifts

Location: Portrait Hall, 3rd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

H.E. Timur Rakhmanov

Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Latvia, Uzbekistan

Alexander Vidyakin

Head of the Board "Baltic-Central Asian Economic Development Association", Latvia

H.E. Dace Rutka

Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Latvia

H.E. Namrata S. Kumar

The first resident Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Republic of Latvia, India

Konstantin Siniushin

Entrepreneur, Partner of the Investment Fund "The Untitled Ventures", Kyrgyzstan

Anna Svarena

Head of Customer Service of the INDUSTRA Bank, Latvia

M.S. Vita Balode Andrews

Director of the Export and Innovation Services Department of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Haidong Feng

Ph.D. Candidate, University of Latvia, China

Investment Culture Sprint: From Challenges to Action

Location: Academic Hall, 2nd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

Dr. Jeļena Titko

Professor, Vice-Rector for Science and International Relations, EKA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia

Aija Brikše

Head of Financial Literacy Division, Latvijas Banka, Latvia

Kristaps Kopštāls

Head of Investment Support Division, Swedbank, Latvia

Jeļena Miltuze

Founder of the Latvian Society of Women Investors, Latvia

Dr. Renāte Indrika

Researcher, EKA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia

Kristiāna Janvare

Head of Investment Banking at Signet Bank, Latvia

Mārtiņš Valters

Member of the Board, Mintos, Latvia

Laura Čistjakova

Financial Analyst and Advisor, Capital Markets Committee, Finance Latvia Association, Latvia

Igors Petrovs

Member of the Board, Head of Risk and Regulatory Compliance, NECTARO SIA, Latvia

Linda Sablinska

Head of Offer Development, Retail Customer Strategy & Offer Development Department, SEB Bank, Latvia

Inta Buša

Head of Marketing & Business Development of the Investors Club, Latvia

14:15 – 15:00

Lunch & Coffee Break

B2B, B2S, S2S networking

15:00 – 17:00

Side Events - Workshops (Session 2)

Biomedicine, MedTech & Pharma: Innovation & Investments for an Aging Society

Location: Academic Hall, 2nd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

Dr. Osvalds Pugovičs

Deputy Director of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Latvia

Olevs Nikers

Senior Expert of the Department of Entrepreneurship Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economics, Latvia

Dr. Indriķis Muižnieks

Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Dr. Divya Vishwanath

Entrepreneur, Data Scientist and Garwood Fellow of Haas School of Business, University of California – Berkeley, India

Investing in Dual-Use Innovation: AI, Miltech, High-Tech Manufacturing & Innovative Entrepreneurship

Location: Portrait Hall, 3rd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

Col. Māris Tūtins

Head of Information Management and Analysis Department of the National Armed Forces, Latvia

Dr. Guntis Bārzdiņš

Leading Researcher at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the University of Latvia, Academician of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Dr. Elīna Egle-Ločmele

Co-Founder and Chairwoman of the Board at Federation of Security and Defence Industries of Latvia, Latvia

Diāna Baranova

Director of the Department of Defence Industry and Innovation Policy of the Ministry of Defence, Latvia

Dr. Valerii Zhuk

Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine

Dr. Yuliia Bezdushna

Professor, Head of the Department of Accounting and Taxation, NSC "Institute of Agrarian Economics", Ukraine

Dr. Daria Trachova

Leading Researcher of the NSC "Institute of Agrarian Economics", Ukraine

Education, Innovation and Human Being's Functional Utilitarianism

Location: Senate Hall, 2nd Floor

Moderators & Keynote Speakers

Dr. Zane Drinķe

Chairwoman of the Knowledge Economy Council of the Latvian Chamber Commerce and Industry, Latvia

Dr. Pamela Bernabei

President of the A. Meneghetti Scientific and Humanistic Research Foundation, Switzerland

Dr. Valdis Segliņš

Lead Researcher of the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia

Yuliia Nezhyd

PhD candidate in Management, Academic Secretary of the Institute of Accounting and Finance of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine

MSc. Olena Voloshyna

Junior Researcher of the Institute of Accounting and Finance of the NAAS, Ukraine

19:00 – 22:00

Gala Dinner (with Invitations)

Program:
• Ceremonial Opening of the 80th Anniversary of the Latvian Academy of Sciences
• Latvian songs, music & dance, networking
• Certificates for participants & other surprises

Dress Code

Business – at the Forum
Black Tie – at the Gala Dinner

Date

Saturday, 7 March 2026

Location

Old Riga
Riga, Latvia

11:00 – 13:00

Guided Cultural Program

Join us for a special guided tour through the historic streets of Old Riga, combining cultural exploration with valuable networking opportunities.

Program Highlights

Guided Excursion Around Old Riga
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site with an expert guide, discovering the rich history and architecture of Latvia's capital
Latvian Cuisine Lunch
Experience authentic Latvian culinary traditions and local flavors
B2B Networking
Business to Business connections and discussions
B2S Networking
Business to Science collaboration opportunities
S2S Networking
Science to Science knowledge exchange and partnerships

Thank You for Joining Us!

We look forward to welcoming you to this memorable closing experience where culture meets innovation, and new partnerships are forged in the historic heart of Riga.

Connect, Learn, and Innovate