Specialisation and innovation

Currently, the leading industries in medicine and health service in Latvia are the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The highest number of inventions patented both on a national and international level is in the field of medicinal chemistry. The fields of biomedicine, biopharmacy, medical technologies, and biotechnology are among the priorities in the Latvian Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3), which envisages economic transformation to create higher added value, productivity, and use of resources.

This strategy prioritises financial and political support for research as well as for administrative initiatives related to, but not limited to, chemical and biotechnological methods and products for manufacturing pharmaceutical and bioactive substances, developing and researching new and existing human and veterinary medicinal products, molecular and personalised treatments, diagnostic methods and cell technologies, functional foods, and therapeutic cosmetics. Several research units focus on the development of high-precision medicine that also includes medical research using complex data to create and implement personalised treatments for every patient and every specific condition.

Overall, clinical and medical research activity in Latvia is dynamic and the majority of young researchers are already highly qualified nationally and internationally. This is our strength on a European level and must continue to be supported in a targeted way.