The Riga Technical University together with the local government of Liepaja to increase the industrial potential of the city and the region

The Riga Technical University (RTU) is ready to invest its know-how and experience in partnership with the Liepaja City Council and the Liepaja SEZ Authority to strengthen Liepaja's industrial potential and to prepare specialists who are capable of generating innovations, for the development of the city and the entire region. The capacity to cooperate was discussed at the meeting of the RTU Council, which took place on November 28 in Liepaja.

«One of the main tasks of the RTU is to promote the development of the Latvian economy, both by preparing new specialists and by creating new products and innovations. The RTU resources in Liepaja, considering the significance of the RTU Liepaja Academy in the region, are in place to provide the scientific and study potential for the economic breakthrough of the City of Liepaja and the Kurzeme Region» believes Andris Vanags, Chairman of the RTU Council.

The RTU ambition is to create a new education and training ecosystem together with the municipality, to strengthen the capacity of engineering, high-tech and innovation, by maintaining and developing the humanities and social sciences which are characteristic of the RTU Liepaja Academy, as well as promoting the development of engineering pedagogy and offering a solution to the shortage of exact and natural science teachers in Latvian schools.

The RTU management sees the University as a powerful partner for Liepaja, since, as a result of the consolidation of higher education, powerful regional educational institutions have joined the RTU ecosystem – the RTU Liepaja Academy and the RTU Liepaja Maritime College under a single brand – «RTU Liepaja», offering their expertise for the development of the region. Liepaja has intended big plans, like projects in the use of renewable energy resources, production of green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, and collection and processing of CO2 emissions.

«The RTU and «RTU Liepaja» are important partners in research and creation of new educational programs in order to create and develop sustainable industry projects with high added value in Liepaja, as well as to prepare efficient young professionals» said Gunārs Ansiņš, Chairman of the Liepaja City Council.

Representatives of «RTU Liepaja» presented both the achievements made so far and their future plans to the management of the local government and the Liepaja Special Economic Zone – for instance, the RTU Liepaja Academy intends to strengthen its engineering capacity by specializing in hydrogen technology research. For this purpose, an academic group and a hydrogen laboratory are being created to actively cooperate with domestic and international partners. Hydrogen research is one of the directions of RTU scientific excellence - the RTU Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology is also engaged in this process. Likewise, the RTU Liepaja Academy intends to create a modern neuroscience laboratory, which will support the local industry, helping companies to better understand customer behavior and thus to increase business competitiveness.

Also the RTU Liepaja Maritime College has increased its capacity – 11 new lecturers – maritime specialists have been attracted as a teaching staff, the quality of college education is monitored by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), the college accreditation process has been launched, the quality of lifelong learning has been raised, the maritime education has been widely popularized, thus attracting new students to the college.