Researcher Spotlight 2026

Extraordinary personalities and their achievements

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Researcher Spotlight: Jānis Ārents

Ph. D. Jānis Ārents 

Leading Researcher at the Robotics and Machine Perception Laboratory of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science

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in brief

We are building a stable and strong national research environment, enabling international and public-private partnerships to emerge.

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why Latvia

Latvia's research policy is developed in order to create the maximum number of opportunities both in the research and education system and in the business environment.

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mission

We believe that a culture of knowledge offers the best opportunities for creating and sustaining a strong civil society in a world that is constantly changing.

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research spotlight

science policy

OECD-EU RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CAREERS SURVEY 2026AS UN ATTĪSTĪBAS KARJERAS APTAUJA 2026

Take ten minutes to help shape the future of research and development careers.You are one of millions of R&D professionals around the world shaping science and innovation. Policymakers influence the decisions your work and career depend on, but good policy depends on good information. Contribut…

OECD

September 18, 2026

natural sciences science communication

A 300-year-old pigment against radioactive caesium – solutions by University of Latvia scientists

For more than 300 years, Prussian blue has been known as a vivid pigment in art, used by such world-famous painters as Vincent van Gogh, but today this compound has entered an entirely different field of research. University of Latvia (UL) research associate and doctoral student Uģis Eismonts is st…

Radio SWH TV in cooperation with "Rietumu Banka" and the University of Latvia Foundation

September 18, 2026

natural sciences zinātnes komunik

Why Are Wild Bees Important for Agriculture Too? A New Season of “Latvia in Science” Has Begun

Around 300 bee species are found in Latvia, but only one of them – the European honey bee – is widely known to people because it is associated with beehives and honey production. The remaining species are wild bees, and relatively little is still known about their distribution and ecological needs…

Radio SWH TV in cooperation with "Rietumu Bank" and the University of Latvia Foundation

September 17, 2026

natural sciences

“Plastic Pirates” Invite Young People to Get Involved in Researching Waste Pollution in Latvia’s Waters

This autumn, schools, extracurricular education institutions, and youth groups across Latvia are invited to take part in the international citizen science campaign “Plastic Pirates” (“Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!”). Participants aged 12 and over can follow a standardised research methodology to sur…

Latvijas Hidroekoloģijas institūts

September 17, 2026

international collaboration bioeconomy research

Professor Ranked Among the World’s Top 2% Most-Cited Scientists Visits LSIWC to Research Sustainable Construction Materials from Food Waste

 Professor Carol Sze Ki Lin from the City University of Hong Kong (CityU HK) is currently visiting the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC) for a two-month research stay. Professor Lin, who has been ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in the fields of biotechnolo…

Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry

September 16, 2026

natural sciences collaboration innovation

Scientists and Entrepreneurs to Strengthen Cooperation and Explore Paths to Innovation Commercialisation

On 24 September, at the “Industry Day & Sensing the Future” event organised by the biomedical and photonics innovation platform “BioPhoT” and the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL), scientists, technology developers, and industry representatives will explore how to…

BioPhoT

September 16, 2026

research research

RTU Announces Scholarship Competition for School Students and University Students, Encouraging Research into Future Construction and Road-Building Technologies

Riga Technical University (RTU) invites secondary school students, vocational education students, and bachelor’s students to participate in a scholarship competition by 30 September. School students will be eligible to receive scholarships for the development of scientific research, project, or mod…

Riga Technical University

September 15, 2026

science communication

September Research Spotlight Jānis Ārents: Robotic Systems That Navigate and Collaborate in Complex Environments

At the Robotics and Machine Perception Laboratory of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (IECS), PhD Jānis Ārents leads research on how robots can navigate complex environments, interpret human instructions and apply learned skills to new tasks.His work seeks answers to a central…

ResearchLatvia

September 15, 2026

quantum technologies international collaboration innovation achievements

The Armed Forces Are Very Interested in It. What Can the Latvia-Made “Quantum Box” That Travelled to Paris Do?

From the outside, it looks like a small, compact box that can be held in one hand, but inside it houses a quantum detector, a microwave generator, a laser, and an onboard computer. Behind its modest exterior lie more than ten years of research, quantum physics, diamond crystals, international coope…

Ieva Lazdiņa, delfi.lv

September 14, 2026

natural sciences innovation science policy

Fifth Call for Postdoctoral Research Applications Announced

 The Latvian Council of Science (LCS) has announced the fifth call for research applications under Measure 1.1.1.9 “Postdoctoral Research” of the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027. The aim of the fifth call is to strengthen Latvia’s scientific capacity and promote the pro…

Latvijas Zinātnes padome

September 14, 2026

upcoming events

Face-to-face event

Academic conference “What Makes Literature? Redefining Realism, Poetics, and Belonging.”

16.09.2026

All day

Raiņa bulvārī 19, Rīga

Workshop

Seminar “Metagenomics and Metabolic Modelling in Clinical Microbiome Studies”

17.09.2026

All day

Nacionālais pētniecības un inovāciju institūts, Rātsupītes 1, k-1, Rīga

Conference

International Conference «5th Teaming Club Conference 2026»

23.09.2026

All day

RTU auditoriju centrā «Domus Auditorialis», Zunda krastmalā 8

Face-to-face event

Industry Day and Sensing the Future

24.09.2026

All day

LU CFI, Ķengaraga iela 8, Rīga

top videos

September Researcher Spotlight: Jānis Ārents

At the Robotics and Machine Perception Laboratory of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (IECS), PhD Jānis Ārents leads research on how robots can navigate complex environments, interpret human instructions and apply learned skills to new tasks.His work seeks answers to a central question: how to enable robots to move through forests, construction sites or industrial settings and interact with humans as naturally as colleagues.

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August Researcher Spotlight: Ieva Leimane

Mg. soc. sci. Ieva Leimane. As a Researcher and Project Manager at the Sustainability Research Unit of the Bioeconomy Department at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics (IARE), Mg. soc. sci. Ieva Leimane focuses on sustainable agricultural practices, biodiversity conservation on farmland, socio-economic assessments, and cooperation among stakeholders in agriculture and rural development. Her work promotes sustainable rural development and environmental protection in agriculture.

 

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July Researcher Spotlight: Līga Lepse

As a Head of Scientific Board, Leading Researcher at the Agrotechnical Research and Variety Evaluation Department at the Institute of Horticulture (IH) Dr. agr. Līga Lepse, where she has dedicated several decades to researching vegetable cultivation technologies and plant breeding. Her work addresses questions of growing global importance – how to produce healthy, high‑quality vegetables while protecting the environment and using resources responsibly.

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