On October 9 and 10, 2025, Riga will host the international PMNET Forum, or Precision Medicine Networking Forum, which is one of the leading precision medicine platforms in Northern Europe and is being organized for the third time with the support of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).
It is planned that more than 300 participants will take part in the forum this year, including health sector specialists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, to discuss current issues affecting Latvia's economy and healthcare system. Those interested in precision medicine are invited to register free of charge at https://pmnetforum.com/registration/.
LIA Director Ieva Jāgere is again inviting biomedical companies to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the medical technology industry exhibition: "This year, in addition to the stands of Latvian and international companies, the forum will also feature a presentation stage. We are actively working to make the forum a meeting place for the development of new ideas in the field of precision medicine. At the same time, the forum serves as an international cooperation platform for various projects."
Every year, lecturers from the US, Western Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic states take part in the PMNET Forum. Cooperation with the United States, which is one of the leaders in precision medicine and pediatric oncology, is really important. For this reason, Dr. Lu Wang, Medical Director of Molecular Pathology and Associate Researcher at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Pathology Department in Memphis, USA, one of the world's leading hospitals in this field.
This year's forum also marks the expansion of cooperation with leading European international centers. Special attention will be paid to cooperation with the Princess Máxima Center in the Netherlands, which will be represented by several participants. The paediatrics session will also feature a Latvian representative, paediatric haematologist and lecturer at the RSU Department of Paediatrics Dr. Žanna Kovaļova, and Dr. Mirjam Blattner-Johnson from the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg in Germany, who is one of the researchers in the world-renowned precision medicine program INFORM, which is currently also working in parallel at Riga Stradins University and the Children's Clinical University Hospital.
The Biobank Law, which is traditionally one of PMNET's priority issues, is scheduled to be approved by the Saeima in the fall, and the annual Biobank session, led by Vita Rovīte together with Jens Habermann (Jens K. Habermann), who is the Director General of the Biobank and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC) and one of the leading biobank legislation experts in Europe. Vita Rovīte is one of the leading researchers in the field of biobanks, genetics and personalized medicine in Latvia, as well as the head of the Latvian National Biobank. She represents Latvia in the BBMRI-ERIC network and is actively involved in biobank legislation and ethical issues, as well as promoting the use of genetic data in research and healthcare, while emphasizing the importance of data protection and patient rights. Her participation in the PMNET Forum 2025 and co-chairing the biobank law session with Jens Hāberman symbolizes Latvia's potential in this field in the European context
Riga Stradins University (hereinafter referred to as RSU) and the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies have created a Research Portal – a unified platform where users can learn about research projects, results, and opportunities for cooperation. This initiative significantly improves the accessibility and transparency of science, promoting interdisciplinary cooperation. During the forum, the Precision Medicine Coalition will invite scientists to actively use our joint research platform with Riga Technical University and the University of Latvia, which will allow investors to identify research in the field of precision medicine in Latvia," says Agrita Kiopa, Vice-Rector of RSU and representative of the forum's scientific committee.
The PMNET forum has become an important event thanks to the contribution of both local and international experts. The forum is organized by the Children's Hospital Foundation, the Children's Clinical University Hospital, Riga Stradins University, the Latvian Children's Oncology Foundation, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Health, the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, as well as several patient organizations, in cooperation with the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia, the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Riga East University Hospital and Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital.
The event will be held in English with some sessions in Latvian.
More information about the forum program and speakers is available at www.pmnetforum.com. We invite you to follow the latest news and developments of the forum on social networks Facebook and LinkedIn, using the hashtags #PMNET2025 #PrecisionMedicine #PMNETforum #NextGenEU #missionLatvia #EUFunds #EUinmyregion #InvestEU #LIAA
The event is supported by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). The project "Development and continuous operation of a comprehensive innovation system management model" is financed by the European Union Recovery Fund. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them.
About the Recovery Fund
The Recovery and Resilience Facility is a centrally managed budget program of the EC, established in addition to the EU's multiannual budget for the 2021-2027 programming period. Its aim is to support reforms and investments related to the transition to a green and digital economy, as well as to mitigate the social and economic impact of the crisis. By the end of 2026, it is planned to invest EUR 1.97 billion from the Recovery Fund in the Latvian economy by implementing reforms and making investments in all six areas of the Recovery Fund: Climate and Energy (including REPowerEU), Digital Transformation, Reducing Inequality, Economic Transformation, Health, and Rule of Law.
