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    Latvia Verified listing Verified listing

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    Description

    Latvia is a leading biomedicine hub in the Baltic region, supported by strong research capabilities, growing innovation capacity and an established life sciences manufacturing base.

    The country has strengths across pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technologies, diagnostics, precision medicine, genomics, biomedical big data, digital health and translational medicine.

    Latvia’s life sciences sector combines deep historical roots in chemistry and pharmaceutical manufacturing with modern R&D capacity, academic-industry collaboration and a strategic position connecting Eastern and Western markets. The sector includes more than 500 companies across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, medical devices, diagnostics and related areas. Latvia-made biomedical products reach global markets including Japan, the US, Canada and the EU.

    With EU-aligned regulatory standards, competitive research clean-room facilities, strong biomedical institutions and a highly skilled workforce, Latvia offers a compelling environment for life sciences R&D, manufacturing, clinical research, technology transfer and healthcare innovation.

    Featured Editorial
    Why Latvia Is Building Momentum in Biomedicine, Digital Health and Precision Medicine

    Latvia’s life sciences sector is gaining more visibility as pharma, biotech and medtech companies reassess where to build, partner and expand within Europe.

    Read the Featured Editorial Here
    Regions
    • Latvia
    Healthcare and Research Infrastructure

    Latvia’s healthcare sector offers strong growth potential, supported by highly qualified medical professionals, competitive operational costs and modern clinical and research facilities.

    The country is home to a growing ecosystem of healthtech start-ups, including Sepsiscan, Bdetect, Anatomy Next, Longenesis and BirgerMind, which have gained international recognition for digital and medical solutions.

    Latvia’s healthcare subsectors include medical rehabilitation, phlebology, stomatology, oncology, ophthalmology, reproductive medicine and infertility treatment, obstetrics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, aesthetic dermatology, hair transplantation, bariatric surgery, orthopedics and traumatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, diagnostics and comprehensive health check-ups.

    The country also has a strong medical tourism sector. In 2024, medical tourism in Latvia reached 40,733 visitors. Latvia attracts patients from Scandinavia, Western Europe and increasingly North America, with some services costing 50% to 70% less than in Western Europe and Scandinavia.

    Latvia operates under European Union healthcare and quality control frameworks, including EU patient safety, GDPR, pharmaceutical and medical device standards.

    The country also benefits from direct flight connections between Riga and major European cities, a compact national layout and a high concentration of advanced medical services in Riga and other key urban centres.

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    Government and Public Research Funding

    Latvia’s life sciences and biomedicine ecosystem is supported by EU programmes, national innovation funding and investment in biotechnology, medical technology and laboratory infrastructure.

    Latvia’s research ecosystem includes several internationally recognized research institutions and strong university-based biomedical research.

    Key public research institutions include the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, the Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence, the Institute of Solid State Physics at the University of Latvia, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR and the Latvian State Forest Research Institute Silava.

    In 2026, the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre and the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis are expected to merge, forming the largest life sciences research institute in the Baltics.

    Investment and Financing

    Latvia’s life sciences sector is positioned as one of the country’s strongest innovation engines, supporting growth, competitiveness and the development of sustainable, high value-added products and services. The sector combines strong R&D capability, established manufacturing infrastructure and geographical and cultural proximity to Eastern and Western markets.

    Industry data provided by LIAA show that more than 83% of products manufactured by the industry are exported abroad. The chemical and pharmaceutical sector is also highly export oriented, with 76.7% of manufactured chemical and pharmaceutical products exported. Pharmaceuticals accounted for 1.3% of total national exports in 2023.

    The pharmaceutical sector reached €314 million in turnover in 2022. In 2023, the sector ranked fifth by turnover and fourth by export amount among manufacturing industries in Latvia.

    Industry Presence

    Latvia’s life sciences sector includes more than 500 companies across the broader life sciences and chemical ecosystem, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and related sectors. Main subsectors include the manufacture of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, rubber and plastic products, coating materials, medical devices and cosmetics, as well as biotechnology, bio-based chemicals, biorefineries and green materials.

    The country also has strong capabilities in pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, including the development and manufacturing of chemical, biological and biosimilar medicines, organic synthesis, drug discovery and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

    Industry leaders include Grindeks, one of Latvia’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, with original products, generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients sold in more than 100 countries.

    Olpha is a leading Baltic pharmaceutical company with more than 50 years of experience, producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and finished dosage forms, with exports to more than 60 countries.

    Other life sciences and biomedicine companies include Biosan, Cellbox Labs, Longenesis, Printymed, Bdetect, Exonicus, Síbiotec, CastPrint, DoctoWell, FIBENOL, ASNS Ingredient, Latvijas Finieris, Valmieras stikla šķiedra and Madara Cosmetics.

    Big Medtech Presence

    Latvia has a growing medical technology and healthtech presence, with capabilities in diagnostic equipment, wearable technologies, implants, laser systems, smart materials, high-precision optical components, medical software, telemedicine platforms, decision-support systems and AI-powered healthcare applications.

    Biosan produces laboratory equipment, medical devices and diagnostic kits for biotechnology and biomedical laboratories, with instruments used in genomics, proteomics and cellomics workflows.

    Bdetect develops a handheld, noninvasive melanoma screening device using multispectral imaging and AI to support earlier skin cancer detection and clinical decisions.

    Cellbox Labs is an industrial organ-on-chip company providing systems for advanced in vitro models used in drug discovery and disease research.

    CastPrint produces custom orthopaedic and personalized immobilization devices for hospitals and clinics.

    Exonicus develops immersive virtual reality training tools for military medical and emergency scenarios.

    Longenesis offers a patient-engagement, data-collection and analytics ecosystem that has involved more than 1 million patients.

    Active Clinical Studies

    Latvia’s biomedicine ecosystem supports translational medicine and clinical research through academic-industry cooperation, preclinical and clinical studies, laboratory testing and technology transfer pathways.

    The country’s strengths in precision medicine, genomics, biomarker discovery, biomedical big data, digital health and patient-engagement technologies also support clinical research, trial recruitment and real-world evidence generation.

    Location
    • Riga, Latvia

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    Related Events
    Rethinking European Expansion: What Life Science Leaders Can Learn from Latvia
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    • Biomedicine
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    Economic Contribution

    Latvia’s life sciences sector is a high value-added and export-oriented contributor to the national economy.

    Among the Baltic States, Latvia leads the life sciences sector with the highest value-added, reaching 52.4% in pharmaceutical manufacturing and 20.2% in chemical production in 2020.

    More than 83% of products manufactured by the industry are exported abroad. In the chemical and pharmaceutical sector, 76.7% of manufactured products are exported, while pharmaceuticals accounted for 1.3% of total national exports in 2023.

    Pharmaceuticals are a leading export category within the industry, making up 27% of total industry exports. In 2022, the pharmaceutical sector reached €314 million in turnover. In 2023, the sector ranked fifth by turnover and fourth by export amount among manufacturing industries in Latvia.

    Life Science Workforce

    Latvia’s biomedicine and life sciences workforce includes chemists, pharmacists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, engineers, data scientists and medical professionals. Chemical and pharmaceutical companies employ more than 8,300 people.

    The life sciences talent pipeline is supported by Riga Stradiņš University, the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University and Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. These institutions offer education and research training in pharmacy, biology, chemistry, biotechnology, medicine, biomedical engineering, materials science, applied chemistry, biosciences, agriculture, forestry and bio-based engineering.

    Leading research institutions, including the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre and the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, provide advanced training, doctoral programmes and hands-on research experience.

    Collaboration between universities, research centres and industry supports skills development in precision medicine, genomics, biostatistics, bioprocessing and digital health technologies.

    Latvia also ranks first in the EU for the share of women among scientists and engineers, according to Eurostat data cited by LIAA.

    Laboratory and Manufacturing Space

    Latvia offers established manufacturing infrastructure and access to modern research facilities for life sciences, biomedicine and healthcare companies. The country has one of the most competitive price-to-quality ratios for research clean-room facilities in Northern Europe.

    Research facilities provide access to state-of-the-art laboratories, clean-room environments and biomedical big-data infrastructure.

    Latvia’s manufacturing base spans chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates, finished dosage forms, rubber and plastic products, coating materials, medical devices, cosmetics, biotechnology, bio-based chemicals, biorefineries and green materials.

    The sector’s manufacturing infrastructure is supported by a long-standing tradition in chemistry, many years of know-how and established production capabilities.

    Talent, Innovation and IP

    Latvia’s life sciences research ecosystem covers the full R&D value chain, from fundamental science to applied research, supported by university-industry collaboration.

    The sector is grounded in strong scientific traditions and has growing capabilities in precision medicine, genomic research, biomarker discovery, biomedical big data, biotechnology, bioprocessing, digital health, biomaterials and sustainable bio-based materials.

    The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis is the Baltic region’s premier drug discovery and development centre, with a track record of 18 original medicines and more than 100 technologies delivered to industry. It provides full-cycle R&D from discovery to preclinical development and collaborates globally as a contract research organisation.

    The Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre is the country’s flagship institution for genomics, molecular biology and biotechnology, and is a key driver of precision medicine, biobank development and biomedical data initiatives.

    The Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence supports the full cycle of advanced biomaterials development, from material science and preclinical testing to clinical applications.

    Other research institutions contribute expertise in materials science, sensors, biomarkers, antimicrobial coatings, biomass valorisation, green synthesis, food safety, veterinary science, environmental health and forestry-related R&D.

    Website

    https://www.liaa.gov.lv/en

    Contact

    Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
    Phone: +371 67039499
    Email: [email protected]

    Links

    https://investinlatvia.org/en/key-sectors/sectors/next-gen-biomedicine

    https://investinlatvia.org/en/key-sectors/sectors/life-science

    https://investinlatvia.org/en/key-sectors/sectors/healthcare

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