On November 15, a significant milestone was reached for the development of Latvia's space industry with the opening of the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC Latvia).
The opening event featured speeches by Jurģis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Economics, and Angelina Bekasova, Senior Expert at the Business Competitiveness Department. A distinguished guest, Luca del Monte, Head of the Commercialization Department at the European Space Agency, also participated in the event.
At the event, Jurģis Miezainis emphasized: “Latvia can already take pride in its contributions to the space industry – we participate in international missions, provide unique niche technologies, and deliver digitalization solutions leveraging satellite data. The future of technology is evolving in the space sector, and Latvia must be ready for the next wave of development.”
Angelina Bekasova highlighted that the space sector is closely interconnected with “Earth-bound” industries and contributes to Latvia's exports, human capital, and innovation. Currently, Latvia boasts 50–60 organizations actively engaged in the space sector. Thanks to ESA BIC Latvia, the country is set to welcome even more powerful players in the field.
ESA BIC Latvia will be managed by the Commercialization Reactor and its partners, following the results of the European Space Agency’s tender. The incubator will support start-ups developing technologies for space applications or utilizing satellite data for Earth-based solutions, further advancing Latvia’s space industry offerings in Europe and globally.
Jurģis Miezainis added: “With the help of this incubator, we will inspire a new generation of talent, drive the growth of start-ups, and harness satellite data to address modern challenges here on Earth. For Latvia, space is both today’s and tomorrow’s economy and opportunity. Think globally, be bold, and act fast.”
More information about the business incubator: www.esabic.lv.
Call for applications: Start-ups are encouraged to apply for the program by January 15, 2024, to discover their niche in the space industry and successfully join ESA BIC Latvia.
Ministry of Economics
Public Relations Department
prese@em.gov.lv