To strengthen the collaboration in the field of high technology by expanding the industrial territory of the Freeport of Ventspils, on December 3, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority officially joined the national microchip initiative. Currently, it brings together several Latvian and foreign organizations that work to promote the business environment, technology, and education.
The partners joining the microchip initiative have signed a memorandum of understanding, aiming to agree on a mutual vision and work plan that will determine Latvia’s role and ecosystem development in the microchip supply chain. The microchip ecosystem is vital for Latvia because the country has a burgeoning industry focused on creating and implementing next-generation communication technology products, in which microchips play a significant role. The production of electronic and optical equipment has been the fastest-growing manufacturing sector in Latvia since 2010. Since 2016, production volumes have nearly doubled, and employment has increased by 50% on average.
On December 3, Riga Technical University together with the Freeport of Ventspils Authority, signed a memorandum of understanding with the companies «Siemens Industry Software Oy» and «ROBERT BOSCH» which oversees the operations of the «Bosch Group» in the Baltic region, «Edge Autonomy Riga» which manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles, and «Wiseberg Technology» which assembles electronics.
The new partners of the memorandum join RTU, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia, the University of Latvia, the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia, and the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia, Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority, the companies «Latvijas Mobilais Telefons», «Mikrotīkls», «Tet», and VAS «Elektroniskie sakari».
The Freeport of Ventspils Authority is an infrastructure developer and provider with more than 20 years of experience in creating and leasing industrial premises for the industrial sector. The Port Authority’s manufacturing clients include several manufacturers of technologically complex products in the fields of mechanical engineering, electronics, and other industries. The Port Authority owns buildings that have been modified to produce electronics, including the biggest clean room in the Baltics for making electronics and related goods.