On May 7, the Nordic and Baltic research and development (R&D) communities, specializing in the development of dual-use technologies, gathered in Brussels. The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), in collaboration with Nordic and Baltic R&D offices, organized the international conference "Nordic Perspectives: A Bridge Between Industry and Academia for Dual-Use Innovation." During the event, experts from the European Commission, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic States shared insights on innovation implementation, the significance of testing platforms, and the region's potential to become a leader in defense innovation.
The primary conclusion of the conference emphasizes that the key strength of the Nordic-Baltic region lies in validating solutions within critical infrastructure environments, where resilience, security, and defense intersect in practice.
The event was opened by Ambassador Aiga Liepiņa and the Deputy Permanent Representative of Latvia to the EU, Reinis Brusbārdis. The conference summary was provided by Žaneta Vegnere, Deputy Head of Cabinet for European Commission Vice-President V. Dombrovskis, and Ivars Ijabs, Member of the European Parliament.
Latvian experts Ņikita Kazakevičs (LMT) and Inese Stepiņa (Sadales Tīkls) shared their recent achievements and future development plans.
The conference highlighted that a vital alternative to technology imports is the creation of new solutions alongside local research partners and their subsequent promotion in the global market in cooperation with European partners. The discussions, which drew more than 100 participants, focused on accelerating the practical implementation of dual-use and defense research to bolster Europe’s competitiveness and security in increasingly unpredictable geopolitical conditions.
Photo gallery available here.
The event was organized by LIAA and the Latvian Council of Science in cooperation with the R&D offices of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Lithuania in Brussels. This was the fourth annual Nordic-Baltic conference.