«At this point, a completely new industry is emerging. Those students who are already participating in the development of missile technologies and those who will participate in the future will be the foundation of the new industry,» reflects Andrejs Puķītis, rocket engineer and CTO of the company, at the signing of the cooperation agreement between Riga Technical University (RTU) and Latvian-Estonian defence industry company «Frankenburg Technologies». The company specializes in the development of innovative air defence systems, including missiles suitable for mass production. It plans to carry out the main development and future production in Latvia.
«As of 2022, mass-produced drones dramatically increase the threat to critical infrastructure and national stability. Existing air defence solutions are inadequate - expensive, slow to produce and insufficient - creating a critical vulnerability gap in national security. The mission of «Frankenburg Technologies» is to create technologies that win wars - to make advanced missile systems available at significantly reduced cost,» says Kusti Salm, the company’s CEO.
K. Salm appreciates the capabilities and talents of Latvian engineers in the development of missile technologies, stressing that the idea of an innovative air defence system originates in Latvia.
«RTU cooperates with many companies, preparing students for the labour market, developing new technologies, but this agreement of cooperation is special, marking a new trend in the way universities help the development of industry,» admits Tālis Juhna, the rector of RTU. Five years ago, RTU launched a new initiative – the Innovation Grants for Students programme – which, in collaboration with rocket engineer A. Puķītis, put together a team of students to build rockets. The team developed both scientific capacity and young talent. These competences were highly appreciated by the company «Frankenburg Technologies», which decided to invest in the development of rocket technologies in Latvia.
The rector is complemented by A. Puķītis, who points out that the knowledge and skills to make rockets have actually been developed by a team of amateurs who were involved in rocket modelling. «Several groups of students have changed during the development process, and I am very pleased that some of these students are already working with us and helping to create the product of the future. Protection is key. We need to know how to protect ourselves and be able to do so,» emphasises Mr. Puķītis.
The agreement between RTU and «Frankenburg Technologies» outlines cooperation in: • Advancing technical education in missile technology and promoting STEM education through theoretical and practical training; • Developing innovative curricula missile technologies; • Collaborating on international projects, developing innovative products, and participating in talent development initiatives.