Thursday, April 16, 2026

Headlines

european union

Billions at work – Latvia’s EU funds puzzle

Twenty years in the European Union have significantly transformed Latvia’s economic environment: roads and bridges have been built, laboratories and industrial parks established, public services digitalized, as well as energy systems modernized and upgraded. Since accession in 2004, approximately 18 billion euros of EU funding have been invested in Latvia in several thousand projects – an amount that domestic resources alone could not provide. The main question now is […]

“We can be the flagships of artificial intelligence.”

In the field of research and development (R&D), Latvia’s small and medium-sized enterprises invest only when all other needs have already been covered and there is money left over. However, R&D is in fact the very foundation that makes it possible to explore and introduce unprecedented services and products. Working with scientists is often something only large and wealthy companies can afford. Guna Soloveja heads the R&D department in one […]

Greetings and thanks to Brussels

I wouldn’t want to be overly direct, but some things are too obvious to be hidden. So perhaps it’s better to be upfront already at the beginning of the article – this may protect from self-censorship later. The uncomfortable truth is this: the more laws Brussels adopts about data and digital life, the less sense it all makes. The data protection regulation, or GDPR, was at least a logical […]

For military-oriented startups, European money is becoming more accessible

For manufacturers of new or significantly improved dual-use – civil and military – products, access to European Union co-financing has been significantly facilitated. Start-ups could be especially grateful for these amendments. The relevant regulatory framework, developed by the Ministry of Economics, was approved by the government on 21 October. Until now, it was stipulated that, in order to apply for support for the development of new or significantly improved dual-use products, project […]

5.4 million euros will be invested in expanding the Spilva production plant

The food production company Orkla Latvia will invest 5.4 million euros in the sauces and ready-made meals brand Spilva production plant in Spilve, Babīte. The extensive investment plan envisages expanding the production building and modernizing the main production lines in order to ensure a rational production flow and automation possibilities, as well as to increase production speed and reduce staff workload. “Spilva’s most popular product types – mayonnaises and sauces […]

On the issue of gender balance, entrepreneurs can breathe a sigh of relief: It could cost the state hundreds of thousands

Ensuring gender equality in the management of two Latvian companies will still not become a mandatory requirement. A majority in the Saeima has, for the second time, rejected the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Welfare on ensuring gender balance in the management bodies of capital companies. For the companies, this of course allows them to breathe a sigh of relief, but for Latvia it may cost a few hundred thousand euros. According to the criteria included in the draft law, at present it would apply only to two […]

The national airline will have a new destination available – Riyadh: The strategic investor is also resuming flights

With the national airline airBaltic’s strategic investor Lufthansa resuming direct flight connections with the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Latvia is also ready to open such routes. In the autumn, a representative of the Ministry of Transport will sign an agreement that will create a legal basis for such flights. The company announced on August 11 that Lufthansa is resuming the direct air connection with Riyadh that was discontinued in 2017. Meanwhile, tomorrow, on the 19th, […]

Experts note the Ministry of Finance’s inability to think long-term: several goals have already been met or cannot be achieved within the specified timeframe

The Ministry of Finance has submitted the FinTech development strategy for public consultation, which is in fact already outdated and does not correspond to the situation in real life, Inc.Baltics has found. The entire sector supports the development of the FinTech strategy as a document to adhere to and use for setting goals. Experts from the Riga Business School think tank “Baltic Finance Center” of Riga Technical University even took the initiative last year and, using the European Commission’s Recovery and Resilience Facility […]

25 companies are interested in MiCA licenses in Latvia: Lithuania, by issuing the first license, has attracted the US giant Robinhood

Five companies have applied for crypto-asset service provider licenses and are in the licensing process, while another 20 companies are in the pre-licensing consultation process. This was reported to Inc.Baltics by the Bank of Latvia. Meanwhile, by issuing a MiCA license to the US company Robinhood, the Bank of Lithuania has ensured that the financial technology giant will open its first representative office in Europe in Lithuania. While the giant Binance, based in the United Arab Emirates, […]

State travel enthusiasm: ministries and the prime minister have spent more than a million euros on business trips in the first quarter of this year

Among the ministers, the prime minister has traveled the most, while the farthest trips have been made by officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Agriculture, and an expert from the Ministry of Welfare. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence together have spent even slightly more than all the other ministries combined. How can it be that the Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM) is ranked so high, when I haven’t been anywhere at all!? Probably about […]