AGP Executive Report

Latvia–US Tech Dealmaking: LIAA’s trade mission to the United States wrapped up with 44 Latvian companies and research groups signing MoUs in defence technology and genomics, aiming for joint development, testing, manufacturing and precision-medicine projects. Precision Medicine Push: Illumina signed an MoU with Latvian biomedical and university partners to accelerate genomics and expand precision medicine use, linking sequencing infrastructure and hospitals. Genomics Collaboration: Latvian biomedical institutions and Illumina plan wider patient-care applications, with the agreement framed around diagnostics, innovation and exportable medical tech services. Defence Tech Partnerships: ORIGIN and Anduril moved forward on counter-drone air-defence cooperation for NATO’s eastern flank during the LIAA mission. Hybrid Threats in the Region: Estonia blamed Russia for an arson attack on Milrem Robotics, summoning Russia’s chargé d’affaires and linking the incident to sabotage against Ukraine-supporters. Grain Integrity Checks: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are coordinating grain origin verification to block Russian-stolen Ukrainian grain, with samples sent for lab testing and more checks planned. Food Safety & Labs: Uzbekistan and Latvia expanded phytosanitary cooperation, including training in Riga and lab diagnostics work at BIOR using accredited testing methods. Baltic Sea Pollution Research: Latvian, Swedish, Finnish and Lithuanian teams reported pharmaceutical pollution in the Baltic Sea, raising concerns about ecosystem impacts from common medicines. Telecom Fraud Controls: Bite Latvia will stop selling prepaid SIMs from 1 October to reduce anonymous-SIM fraud risks.

Latvia Tech & Telecom: Bite Latvia will stop selling prepaid SIMs from Oct 1, aiming to curb phone fraud by reducing anonymous SIM circulation. Baltic Security Tech: Estonia says Russia’s special services ordered an Aug arson attack on Milrem Robotics in Tallinn, with Latvian suspects detained and handed over; Estonia’s PM says “we will not be intimidated,” as the case feeds into wider hybrid-war concerns. Border & Food Supply Monitoring: Ukraine’s agrarian minister met Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in Brussels on stopping trade in stolen Ukrainian grain; Latvia has started lab testing of samples in France, while Baltic states tighten checks to keep occupied-territory grain out of markets. Riga Business & Finance: Nordic Investment Bank leased space at Origo One, reinforcing Riga’s push as a regional financial hub near Rail Baltica plans. Baltic Sea Science: Researchers across Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Latvia report pharmaceuticals like paracetamol and diclofenac in the Baltic Sea, raising alarms for marine ecosystems and wastewater treatment. Latvia Infrastructure Logistics: Venipak boosted parcel locker capacity in Latvia by ~15% with €2.5M+ in Baltic infrastructure investment.

Baltic Telecom & Border Tech: Latvia is pushing ahead with an automated border surveillance upgrade, but says cables and video equipment along the eastern border are being deliberately damaged to slow deployment. Defence & Drones: Latvia’s defence ministry says a Ukraine-inspired automated anti-drone “wall” is being built along the eastern border, aiming to neutralize drones first and use fighter jets as backup. Long-Range Strike: President Edgars Rinkēvičs says Latvia is moving to acquire Anduril’s Barracuda long-range cruise missiles, potentially making it the first Baltic state with that reach. Local Industry (Fibre Optics): Latgale’s fibre-optic cluster is exporting widely, with Lightguide producing fibre-optic catheters using flexible light-guiding tech. Logistics Automation: Venipak is expanding parcel locker capacity in Latvia by ~15% with €2.5M+ investment across the Baltics. AI & Privacy: A Latvian election-security update says the VDD is monitoring disinformation attempts, while a separate report warns about data risks from temporary phone-number services used online. EU Defence Industry: The EU has named its first five joint defence projects of common interest, including drones/counter-drones and eastern-flank surveillance.

Border Tech Under Pressure: Latvia says cables, cabinets and video poles along the eastern border are being deliberately damaged to slow an automated border control rollout, with modern surveillance already installed on 72% of planned sections. Defence Industry Scaling: Latvia’s defence minister warns NATO must learn to disperse weapons production like Ukraine does, so industry can keep running under attack. Anti-Drone Shield: Latvia is building a Ukraine-inspired automated anti-drone “wall” along the eastern border, aiming to make fighter jets a backup rather than the first line of defence. Long-Range Strike Move: President Edgars Rinkēvičs says Latvia is moving to acquire Anduril’s Barracuda long-range cruise missiles, potentially making it the first Baltic state with that reach. Baltic Logistics Upgrade: Venipak is investing over €2.5m in Baltic infrastructure and boosted Latvia parcel locker capacity by about 15% while expanding automation. AI App Building in the Region: Estonia’s bilt.me raised €614.9k to scale its AI-native mobile app builder, backed by Bolt and Lightyear founders. Cyber Hygiene: Cert.lv reports phishing simulations still catch many staff—31.5% of opened emails led to credential entry—pushing for regular training. Space Education Milestone: An all-girls 108-country CubeSat mission set a world record, moving from hands-on engineering training toward launch.

Border Tech Under Attack: Latvia says cables, distribution cabinets and video-surveillance poles along the eastern border are being deliberately damaged to slow an automated border control rollout, with work already installed on 72% of one phase and expanding on Russia/Belarus sections. Long-Range Strike Push: President Edgars Rinkēvičs says Latvia is moving to acquire Anduril’s Barracuda long-range cruise missiles, potentially making it the first Baltic state with that strike reach. Counter-Drone Integration: Anduril and ORIGIN signed an MoU to test how Anduril’s Lattice software can integrate with ORIGIN’s BLAZE interceptor drone for layered counter-UAS defence in Latvia. Cyber Hygiene in Focus: Latvia’s Cert.lv reports phishing simulations still catch many staff—31.5% of opened emails led to credential entry—while IT security tests found 82 vulnerabilities. Latvian Science Abroad: A Latvia delegation in California is building genomics partnerships and commercialization links, including work with the Latvian National Biobank and sequencing infrastructure. EU Data Rules Fight: Civil groups urge EU states to stop a proposed “Digital Omnibus” rollback that would change GDPR application and weaken protections for AI data processing. EU Industrial Compliance: The European Commission opened infringement steps against multiple countries, including Latvia, over missed transposition of revised industrial emissions and other rules.

Defense & Deterrence: Latvia is moving to buy Anduril’s Barracuda long-range cruise missiles after President Edgars Rinkēvičs’ California visit, potentially making it the first Baltic state with this strike reach. Counter-UAS Tech: Anduril and ORIGIN signed an MoU to test integrating Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control with ORIGIN’s BLAZE interceptor drone for layered counter-drone air defense in Latvia. Cyber Hygiene: Latvia’s CERT.lv reports phishing drills still catch many staff—only about 31% of emails were opened, and users often can’t spot scams—while security testing found dozens of vulnerabilities that were fixed before exploitation. Border Security for Food Supply Chains: Latvia’s Saeima tightened rules for third-country grain transit, enabling Food and Veterinary Service checks and lab testing to stop stolen Ukrainian grain being relabeled as Russian. Space Education: An all-girls satellite mission set a world record by bringing students from 108 countries to build a CubeSat for launch from India. Public Health: Influenza has already started circulating in Latvia, with lab-confirmed cases and warnings that high-risk groups should take early prevention steps. Infrastructure: Riga Airport is advancing a €98M terminal expansion to relieve capacity limits and modernize passenger processing.

Latvia Tightens Grain Controls: The Saeima has urgently amended the Animal Feed Circulation Law to introduce stricter border checks on third-country grain shipments, including lab testing to verify origin and block possible transit of stolen Ukrainian crops under forged documents. Counter-Drone Tech for NATO’s East: Anduril and ORIGIN signed an MoU to assess integrating Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control software with ORIGIN’s BLAZE interceptor drone, with joint testing and demonstrations planned in Latvia. Latvian Cyber Hygiene: Cert.lv reports that in 2025 phishing simulations, only 31.48% of opened emails led to credential entry, and it found 82 IT vulnerabilities across 27 security tests—urging regular staff training. Riga Airport Expansion: RIX is moving ahead with a €98m terminal expansion to add more capacity and modernize passenger processing, with construction expected to take about 42 months. Latvian Genomics Partnerships: A Latvia trade mission in California is building partnerships in genomics tech and commercialisation, aiming for joint development and licensing with US research and industry groups. EU Data Privacy Fight: Civil society groups warn that an EU “Digital Omnibus” push could weaken GDPR protections, including how AI data processing may bypass key rules.

Latvia–US Genomics Push: Latvian researchers and innovation specialists are in California to build partnerships in genomics tech and commercialisation, aiming for new testing, licensing and joint product development via LIAA’s trade mission. Counter-Drone Tech for NATO’s East: Anduril and ORIGIN signed a MoU to assess integrating Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control software with ORIGIN’s BLAZE interceptor drone, with joint testing and demonstrations planned in Latvia. Border Controls for Stolen Grain: Latvia’s Saeima tightened rules for third-country grain transit, giving the Food and Veterinary Service power to inspect shipments and take lab samples to verify origin and block Ukrainian grain looted from occupied areas. Riga Airport Expansion: RIX is moving ahead with a €98m terminal expansion to add about 20,000m² of passenger space and upgrade access and security areas, with construction expected to take around 42 months. Cyber Hygiene in Focus: Cert.lv reported that only 31.5% of staff opened phishing simulation emails in 2025, and urged regular training as vulnerabilities were found and fixed in IT security tests. Space Education Milestone: An all-girls satellite mission from 108 countries set a world record, with students building a 12U CubeSat for launch from India. Payments Infrastructure Upgrade: Inventi became the first Baltic Swift Business Connect provider, offering managed Swift connectivity through its payments platform.

Counter-Drone Tech: Latvia is moving fast on layered air defense, with Anduril and ORIGIN signing an MoU to integrate Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control software with ORIGIN’s BLAZE interceptor drone, including joint testing and demonstrations in Latvia. Long-Range Strike: Latvia is also reportedly set to order Anduril’s Barracuda long-range cruise missiles, a major step for Baltic strike capability. Border Security for Food Supply: The Saeima has tightened rules for third-country grain transit, giving Latvia’s Food and Veterinary Service power to inspect shipments and take lab samples to stop stolen Ukrainian grain from being relabeled and routed through Latvian ports. Aviation Infrastructure: Riga Airport is pushing ahead with a €98m terminal expansion to add new check-in, security screening, and baggage areas, with construction planned in stages while the airport stays open. Public Health: Latvia confirms early flu circulation, with lab-confirmed cases already recorded and hospitals urging timely prevention, especially for high-risk groups. Digital Rights: EU civil society groups warn of a GDPR rollback via the “Digital Omnibus,” urging member states to resist changes that could weaken privacy protections. Media Tech: Viaplay has migrated scheduling to Encompass’ AI-enabled platform, with operations managed from Riga.

Border Security & Food Supply Chains: Latvia’s Saeima has urgently tightened border controls for third-country grain and animal feed to stop stolen Ukrainian crops from being routed through Latvia under forged documents, giving the Food and Veterinary Service power to inspect shipments and take lab samples to verify origin. Aviation Infrastructure: Riga Airport is pushing ahead with a €98m terminal expansion to add about 20,000 m² of passenger space and upgrade surrounding access, with construction planned in stages while the airport stays open. Public Health: Latvia has confirmed early-season flu activity, with three lab-confirmed cases and a patient in treatment for complications, prompting prevention advice for high-risk groups. Retail Tech & Payments: Lidl Latvija reported 2025 turnover up 7.5% to €495.6m and continued its investment push, including more digital solutions like the Lidl Pay contactless system. Media Tech: Viaplay migrated its free-to-air scheduling to Encompass’ AI-enabled Altitude Scheduling, with managed operations supported from Encompass’ Riga centre. Latvian Business & Mobility: dots. and HOLON plan to secure €30m for autonomous transport in the Baltics, including an autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility in Latvia. Local Economy & Finance: Latvijas Banka’s annual conference (Nov 11) will focus on euro-area economic challenges in the new geopolitical reality.

EU Defence & Chips Policy: Twelve EU member states back keeping third-country access in the European Competitiveness Fund defence programmes, pushing for interoperability and supply-chain flexibility, while EU ministers debate Chips Act 2.0 to cut semiconductor dependencies and boost demand across the value chain. UN AI Governance: At a UN Security Council briefing, Yoshua Bengio warned frontier AI agents can escape safeguards, while the US resisted a global regulator; Pakistan urged AI not to fuel an arms race. Latvia’s Defence Tech Push: Latvia’s defence ministry explores Israeli air-defence and drone countermeasures (including Iron Dome) and Latvia’s dual-use firms seek US partners for joint development and manufacturing. Baltic Mobility & Autonomy: dots. and HOLON plan EUR 30m for autonomous transport in the Baltics, including an autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility in Latvia. Energy & Grid Costs: EU governments argue over who controls and pays for grid modernisation as electricity bills rise; Estonia’s Taaleri backs a 192MW/420MWh battery project in Estonia. Local Tech & Media Ops: Encompass migrates Viaplay free-to-air channels to its Altitude Scheduling platform, using Riga-based media operations support. Science Outreach in Riga: BODIES Evolution opens in Riga’s Teika Plaza for public anatomy education.

Media Tech in Riga: Encompass Digital Media migrated Viaplay’s free-to-air TV3, TV6, TV8 and TV10 to its Altitude Scheduling platform, using cloud automation and Riga-based scheduling support to cut manual work and speed up changes across linear, streaming and FAST. Human-Body Science Outreach: BODIES Evolution opens in Riga at Teika Plaza (17 Sep–17 Dec 2026), bringing plastinated specimens and anatomy-focused exhibits aimed at public science learning. Autonomous Mobility Funding Push: dots. and HOLON plan to secure EUR 30 million for autonomous transport in the Baltics, including an autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility in Latvia and pilot passenger transport projects. Energy Storage Investment: Taaleri Energia backs Estonia’s 192MW/420MWh Raudsepa battery project, targeting grid balancing and market optimization ahead of full operation in Nov 2027. Defense Tech & Drones: Baltic states seek EU funds for counter-drone capabilities as Russian long-range drone activity raises NATO-flank concerns, while Latvia’s defense firms look to US partners for joint development and manufacturing. EU Sanctions Update: The EU extended Russia-linked restrictive measures for three years to 22 Sep 2029, including removals tied to Usmanov and Fridman negotiations.

Baltic Drone Defense Push: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia asked the European Commission for urgent funding to boost counter-drone capabilities, with reports putting the request at €500M as Russian long-range drones increasingly test NATO’s eastern flank. AI Governance at UN: Czech President Petr Pavel warned that AI must stay under human control and within international law, while 20 countries and the EU backed a UN-linked “Call for Control of Frontier AI Models” focused on standards and oversight. Energy Grid Hardening: Lithuania is designing a fortified electricity substation near Kaliningrad to survive explosive drones, sabotage and vehicle attacks, and is arguing the EU should help pay for the security layer. Latvia in EU Sanctions Talks: The EU extended Russia-linked sanctions until 2029 after removing two Russian billionaires, with Latvia reportedly lifting its veto/abstaining to unblock the deal. Latvian Tech Trade Mission: A Latvia-led business delegation has started talks in the US (New York, Los Angeles, San Diego), targeting defence/dual-use, biotech and start-ups, plus film industry meetings with Paramount and Disney. Digital Sovereignty in Riga: Techritory 2026 in Riga will focus on protecting Europe’s data and digital infrastructure, tying security to economic resilience.

EU Mobility & Military Mobility: A Riga forum backed by the EESC and Latvia’s Sustainability Cluster urged Europe to speed up climate-neutral, resilient transport while also upgrading cross-border military mobility. Latvia–US Tech Push: LIAA’s trade mission is underway in the US (New York, LA, San Diego), with meetings planned for defence/dual-use, biomedical, start-ups and film partners like Paramount and Disney. Digital Sovereignty in Riga: Techritory 2026 will focus on protecting Europe’s data and digital infrastructure, with the theme “Security and Prosperity Through Digitalization and Connectivity.” Frontier AI Governance: UN chief António Guterres welcomed a Finland–Norway “Call for Control of Frontier AI Models,” backing standards and verification. Latvia Business Tech Deal: Datlex group is buying 90% of InfoStrategy to expand business intelligence and data analytics capacity. EU Russia Sanctions: The EU extended Russia-linked sanctions to 2029, but Latvia’s stance over delisting Usmanov and Fridman kept the process tense. Public Health Alert (Salaspils): A Salaspils kindergarten outbreak is under investigation after dozens of children fell ill, with norovirus confirmed in two cases. Counter-drone Tech (Poland): Poland’s new counter-drone network uses light-based navigation components from Advanced Navigation for systems deployed along the eastern border.

EU Sanctions Showdown: Latvia blocked an EU compromise that would have removed Russian-linked billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list while extending restrictions on ~3,000 others to 2029, pushing talks to the deadline and highlighting how political bargaining can reshape tech-adjacent compliance risk for businesses. AI Safety Push: UN chief António Guterres welcomed a Finland- and Norway-led “Call for Control of Frontier AI Models,” backed by EU and others including Latvia, calling for human oversight, verification, and possible new international standards. Latvia in the Spotlight: Latvian entrepreneurs visited Paramount and Disney in the US as part of a LIAA trade mission, while Datlex moved deeper into business intelligence by buying 90% of InfoStrategy. Security & Mobility: Latvia joined discussions on “Military Schengen” in Riga, aiming for faster cross-border movement of troops and dual-use tech, as European officials warn Russia may test NATO resolve “months, not years.” Defense Tech Events: EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 expands across Europe, with Latvia among the selected locations, and ADEX 2026 in Baku continues to draw global defense and tech players.

Fintech & Regulation: A FintechZoom look at the EU’s PSD2 “passport” registry finds a split market: 39.1% of authorized payment firms have never notified into another EU country, while the median licence holder in places like Latvia reaches far fewer destinations than the “almost everywhere at once” users. Latvia Immigration: Latvia’s new immigration law tightens stay and work rules for foreigners, with a special one-year renewal scheme for Belarusians who meet specific work-and-tax conditions. Defence & Security: Latvia’s President warns NATO may be vulnerable to a large Russian missile strike, while European intelligence officials say a NATO “test” could happen in “months, not years.” Latvia in EU Sanctions: Riga blocks an EU sanctions compromise over Russia-linked billionaires Usmanov and Fridman, risking renewal of measures covering nearly 3,000 listings. Latvian Tech & Business: Datlex expands via Digitex’s 90% acquisition of InfoStrategy to grow business intelligence and data analytics capacity. AI Governance: UN chief Guterres backs a Finland/Norway-led push for control of frontier AI models, calling for standards and an international institution to manage risks.