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Ventspils Universituy of Applied Sciences
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Ventspils Universituy of Applied Sciences

Ventspils Universituy of Applied Sciences

June 10, 2024

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) was founded in 1997, located in the Kurzeme region, in Ventspils state city by the Baltic Sea and is one of the smallest universities of applied sciences in Latvia.

VUAS has three faculties: Faculty of Economics and Management, Faculty of Translation Studies and Faculty of Information Technologies), offering a degree in total of 17 Bachelor, Master and PhD study programmes. VUAS has on average of 800 students at 3 study levels.

VUAS also has a Lifelong Learning Center, who offers to every inhabitant of Kurzeme region an opportunity for lifelong learning, raising or changing their qualifications in accordance with the requirements of the labor market and their interests and needs.

VUAS has two research institutes:

  1. Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre ( VIRAC), whose goal is to become a global research service provider in the field of astronomy and space technology, to create an internationally competitive, balanced and sustainable research team, as well as an internationally competitive and sought-after scientific infrastructure research complex.
  2. Research institute "Technology Transfer and Innovation Centre" (TTIC) whose main goal is to attract resources for the commercialization of VeA research and project results.

In 2020, VIRAC of VUAS established a spinoff company VIRATEC Ltd. (VUAS is 100% shareholder) whose main goal is to commercialize and promote VIRAC scientific developments (project results) on the market.

Research directions and competences

The strategic fields of specialisation of the VUAS are the natural sciences (physical sciences, computing and electronics and automation), the social sciences (business and administration) and the humanities.

One of the key research areas of VUAS is natural sciences, implementing research in such areas as astrophysics and fundamental astronomy, electronics and telecommunication, mathematical modelling and discrete signal processing. VUAS International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC) specializes in the implementation of high-quality future research services in the fields of space technology and signal processing science and conducts research in industrial mathematics, prototyping, telecommunications, satellite navigation, ionosphere, etc. directions. The research is carried out in close cooperation with the Faculty of Information Technologies of VeA, involving both academic staff and students in the implementation of research projects.

An important role is played by research in the humanities, which is carried out at the Faculty of Translation Studies in areas such as translation science and linguistics (applied, comparative and compositional linguistics). The main research areas are 1) translation and society; 2) the composable aspects of the relationship between words and texts; 3) lexicography and terminology. Research in the field of linguistics is provided through the implementation of the joint doctoral study program "Language and Literature Studies" with the University of Daugavpils and the University of Liepāja. The Faculty of Translation Studies has carried out and continues to carry out various interdisciplinary research in cooperation with other Latvian scientific institutions (for example, the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the University of Latvia, Riga Stradins University, the Institute of Horticulture) and VUAS structural units (for example, with the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center), as well as various translation companies in Latvia (for example, Skrivanek, Tilde).

The main directions of research in social sciences are entrepreneurship, innovation, regional development, economy and social capital management, including the development of digital skills for the creation and commercialization of innovations, the development of research and innovation capacity for increasing business productivity and improving the efficiency of public administration processes to promote the balanced development of Latvia's regions. The implementation of the mentioned research directions takes place at the Faculty of Economics and Management and at the Technology Transfer and Innovation Center ((TTIC). Research directions are also implemented in cooperation with Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and Rēzekne Academy of Technology within the framework of the joint doctoral study program "Economics and Business" offering studies in both Latvian and English.

Research projects and achievements

In order to be part of the European network, improving the effectiveness of study programs and using the latest educational technologies, VeA has participated in several (more than 20) European Union co-financed projects and initiatives of various scales, funding sources and topics, including ambitious infrastructure investment projects, in total more than in the amount of EUR 18 million.

In 2022, VeA implemented 21 projects, seven of which were international cooperation projects (including Horizon 2020 and European Space Agency projects) and 14 projects financed by European Union funds and the Latvian state (total revenue 1 505 145.82 EUR).

Among the projects currently under implementation, the following projects shall be considered as the most important research projects in VUAS:

  1. "One-baseline radio interferometer in modern transient astrophysics" (a grant from the Latvian Science Council, implementation period from 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2025, total funding EUR 300 000.00).
  2. "Study of multi-wavelength quasi-periodic pulsations in solar and star flares" (a grant from the Latvian Science Council, implementation period from 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2025, total funding EUR 300 000.00).
  3. "Effective environmental and animal welfare farm monitoring" (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, VeA one of 11 cooperation partners, implementation period from 14.07.2022-30.06.2025, total funding 499 994.22 EUR).
  4. "Intelligent complex of information systems for the special vocabulary of biology for research and preservation of linguistic diversity" (a grant from the Latvian Science Council, implementation period from 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2023; cooperation partner "Horticulture Institute", total funding 300 000 EUR).
  5. "Desorption of ice molecules in the interstellar environment" (grant of the Latvian Science Council, implementation period from 01.01.2022 - 31.12.2024, total funding 299 927.10 EUR).
  6. "Diversity of the Latvian language in time and space" (State research program, implementation period from 10.12.2021 - 09.12.2024; total funding 641 000 EUR.)
  7. "Development of hydrogen hydraulic compression technology for hydrogen filling stations" (ERAF, implementation period from 01.05.2021 - 30.12.2023, total funding 538 346,55 EUR)
  8. "The latest scientific applications in radio astronomy: applications of the most current technologies to improve data processing processes at various stages (from the receiver to the final result)" (HORIZON-INFRA-2022-TECH-01, implementation period from 01.03.2023 - 28.02.2027, VUAS is one from 33 cooperation partners, total funding 8 903 952.00 EUR).
  9. OPTICON-RadioNet Pilot Program (Horizon 2020, implementation time from 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2024, VUAS is one of 36 cooperation partners, total funding 15 000 000.00 EUR

Infrastructure

The following laboratories are available in the Ventspils University premises for carrying out research activities and promoting innovation:

  1. Machine Learning laboratory
  2. Computer vision laboratory
  3. Simultaneous translation laboratory
  4. Satellite technology laboratory
  5. Robotics and sensors laboratory
  6. Laboratory of mechatronic systems
  7. Computer aided manufacturing laboratory
  8. Prototyping laboratory
  9. Laboratory of electronic measurements
  10. Digital electronics laboratory
  11. Signal processing laboratory
  12. Laboratory of optics and optoelectronics
  13. Physics laboratory
  14. Laboratory of radio technical systems
  15. Cloud computing laboratory
  16. Laboratory of telecommunications, computer networks and computer systems

In the Irbene radio antenna complex, such unique objects as the radio telescope RT-32, RT-16, Lofar - Latvia LV614 station, as well as 1st and 2nd generation clusters (HPC) are available. A detailed description of available infrastructure facilities is available on the website www.viraec.eu

Leading Researchers:

  1. Silga Sviķe, Dr. philol., h-indekss -1, ORCID 0000-0001-8374-3237.
  2. Juris Kalvāns, Dr.phys., h-indekss - 10, ORCID 0000-0002-2962-7064
  3. Vladislavs Bezrukovs, MSc., h-indekss - 7, ORCID 0000-0003-3655-2280
  4. Ivars Šmelds, Dr.Phys., h-indekss - 5, ORCID 0000-0002-9671-5267
  5. Artis Aberfelds, MSc., h-indekss - 2, ORCID 0000-0002-6727-2858
  6. Juris Freimanis, Dr.Phys., h-indekss - 4, ORCID 0000-0003-1979-2944
  7. Marina Koņuhova, Dr.sc.ing., h-indekss - 3, ORCID 0000-0003-0743-5915
  8. Manfreds Šneps-Šnepe, Dr.sc.ing., h-indekss - 15, ORCID 0000-0002-0672-8321
  9. Boriss Rjabovs, Dr.Phys, h-indekss - 9, ORCID 0000-0001-9087-1333
  10. Svetlana Polukoško, Dr.sc.ing., h-indekss - 4, ORCID 0000-0001-5994-1620

More information: www.venta.lv