RSU researchers advance to the second round of BioPhoT innovation competition

Photo: Courtesy of Linards Reinis Rozītis (RTU)

From 26 to 28 May, the first evaluation round of the BioPhoT research and innovation project competition took place, bringing together research teams from across Latvia. Participants presented their ideas to an independent panel of industry and commercialisation experts. Among them were 13 teams from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) – 6 of which have successfully advanced to the second round.

The panel assessed projects based on their potential to address real-world challenges, their commercialisation prospects, uniqueness, and other key criteria. In total, 79 out of 117 submitted proposals qualified for the next stage.

The RSU proposals moving forward to the second round cover a broad range of topics, including innovative diagnostic solutions for children and adults, with a particular focus on early disease detection and improvements in women’s health. These projects tackle pressing public health issues and showcase RSU researchers’ ability to combine scientific excellence with real-world impact.

In the second round, proposals will undergo scientific evaluation by experts appointed by the Latvian Council of Science, with final results expected in October 2024.

RSU is proud of its researchers’ achievements and wishes them continued success in the next phase of the competition!

About the BioPhoT project

The "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for the Development of Innovative Products" (BioPhoT) is part of the State Research Programme “Innovation Fund – Long-Term Research Programme”. The initiative aims to promote collaboration between research in biomedicine, photonics, and smart materials and the commercial sector, with the goal of developing new, competitive technologies.

The first competition under the programme has a total budget of €6 million, with each approved project eligible to receive up to €200,000 in funding for an implementation period of up to 12 months.

This competition is part of a broader BioPhoT activity plan that will include two additional project calls by 2026. In total, over €12 million will be allocated to support innovation projects, and nearly €5 million more will be dedicated to enhancing researchers' innovation skills—through training in technology transfer, commercialisation, and intellectual property protection.

By 2032, the platform aims to develop at least 35 new technologies, with several reaching demonstration or commercialisation stages. The long-term objective of BioPhoT is to strengthen Latvia’s science and innovation ecosystem and foster technology-driven entrepreneurship.

The BioPhoT platform is coordinated by the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (OSI) and implemented by a consortium of leading institutions: the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, University of Latvia, Institute of Solid State Physics, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR", Rīga Stradiņš University, and Riga Technical University.

The project "Biomedical and Photonics Research Platform for the Development of Innovative Products" is implemented under the State Research Programme “Innovation Fund – Long-Term Research Programme”, project ID: IVPP-EM-Inovācija-2024/1-0002.