On October 16, the “Spotlight Latvia” conference, organised by the Latvian-American Chamber of Commerce (LACC), took place in Washington, D.C., as part of the Latvian business delegation’s trade mission to the United States.
“While Latvia might seem small on the map, it is grand in talent, know-how, and the development of ground-breaking technologies,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity.
“By our history, our people, and the value we place on the transatlantic relationship, Latvia is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge between the European Union and the United States. Together, we can turn shared challenges in defence, clean energy, and digital innovation into opportunities that strengthen both our security and economic resilience.”
During the event, a cooperation agreement between the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and LACC was signed, establishing representation for Latvian business interests and strengthening export capacity across North America.
“This trade mission and the ‘Spotlight Latvia’ conference mark a new stage in Latvia–U.S. economic relations,” said Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis. “The signed agreement with the Latvian American Chamber of Commerce, ensuring the representation of Latvian business interests in 29 U.S. states, lays the foundation for much closer cooperation in the defence industry, energy, digital services, and other sectors. This forum demonstrates that Latvian entrepreneurs are ready to export innovative products and build strategic partnerships with U.S. counterparts in high-value-added industries. During the trade mission, meetings with around 30 potential investors are planned, which will soon bring direct benefits to Latvia’s economy.”
The conference brought together Latvian and U.S. business leaders, government officials, and academic representatives to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, defence, energy, and digital services.
Participants from the U.S. side included companies such as Anduril Industries, FedTech, AUVSI, Scout Ventures, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, Meta, Google, AMS Group, Imprimatur, and others.
“The cooperation agreement with LACC strengthens Latvia’s economic presence in the U.S. market and opens new opportunities for our companies. It enables focused work on export development and investment attraction, providing entrepreneurs with practical support in 29 U.S. states where LACC already operates.
As a result, businesses will have access to a much broader support network to address their day-to-day needs,” said Ieva Jāgere, Director General of LIAA.
Several panel discussions were held within the framework of “Spotlight Latvia” on business opportunities in the U.S., federal procurement systems, cybersecurity, and the defence industry.
Panellists included Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis, Minister of Climate and Energy Kaspars Melnis, LIAA Director Ieva Jāgere, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Aivars Puriņš, CEO of the State Defence Corporation Ingrīda Ķirse, and representatives of Latvia’s defence industry companies. Latvia’s delegation features a strong mix of state enterprises, defence primes, and cutting-edge tech startups, including State Defence Corporation, Latvenergo, Edge Autonomy Riga, BELSS/Eraser, SAF Tehnika, Defence Partnership Latvia, Oruga, MN TECH, Data Crunch, SILMOR, and more.
About the Mission
The trade mission is organised by the Ministry of Economics of Latvia and the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), in cooperation with the Embassy of Latvia in Washington, D.C. and the Latvian-American Chamber of Commerce (LACC).
The initiative is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Photo: Signing of Agreement between LIAA and LACC
