On October 14 the 15^th CERN Latvian working group meeting took place at Daugavpils University. Representatives of Latvian research institutions, businesses, Latvian Science Council, Ministry of Education and Science, LIAA office in Daugavpils and City Development Departmentcame together to discuss latest activities at CERN and opportunities for further collaboration.

During the meeting, results of the Latvian participation in CERN committees and councils were presented. The Riga Technical University and the University of Latvia presented ongoing CERN projects with Latvian involvement. Opportunities for entrepreneurs were presented by Alise Pika-Ozola, Industrial Liaison Officer for Latvia.

All participants were involved in lively discussions about the importance of Latvia’s involvement in CERN activities. Collaboration opportunities were discussed and a plan for a more active regional engagement was set up, especially for PhD students and teachers studying physics at Daugavpils University.

The Latvian participation in CERN opens up great opportunities to develop high-level research activities and to stimulate economic growth in the country. CERN is organizing open doors for pupils and for teachers in physics in Latvia. The involvement in CERN activities also opens up possibilities for Latvian businesses to participate in procurement procedures, to use CERN infrastructure, to explore CERN open innovations and to stimulate R&D developments of the company.

Key objectives of the CERN Latvian working group meetings are to present ongoing activities, to build up new collaborations and to raise awareness about CERN. The CERN Latvian working group meets twice a year. Meetings usually take place on-site with remote participation and are open for all persons interested in collaboration with CERN. Core principles of CERN Latvia Group are collegiality, transparency and collective teamwork.

Information about Latvian National Contact Point of CERN: https://www.lzp.gov.lv/en/national-contact-point-cern