Baltic - Nordic Business Forum "STEM & SPACE: NEW HORIZONS FOR COOPERATION" will take place on September 22, 2022 10:00 at the Exhibition Hall at Vidzeme Concert hall “Cēsis”, Latvia. 
REGISTRATION https://forms.gle/LDhVQadEzksZN1Q97 

As a contribution to the tradition of Nordic-Baltic cooperation and the vision of strengthening the high-value-added economies of our countries, this forum will devote its attention to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the space economy as a resourceful and inspirational domain for innovation, cooperation, synergies and growth.

STEM competencies are becoming the backbone of industrial competitiveness and thus, are enjoying a rapidly growing demand in Europe and beyond. At the same time, the space economy is gaining momentum globally, and it offers the Baltics and Nordics a favourable context for innovation-stimulating cooperation and STEM development: by inspiring curiosity for science, driving technology transfer and advancing the already well-developed capacities in the region’s space sectors.

The forum aims to inspire discussions and create insights into mission-oriented cooperation development, efficient use of investments, science and entrepreneurship collaboration for the benefit of the society, economy and environment as well as space becoming a catalyst for cooperation and growth of economies, industries and life-long.

The forum is organised in the framework of Nordic Days in Cēsis 2022 by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Riga, Cēsis Space Education Centre, the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia, the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Latvia, Cēsis Municipality in cooperation with other Nordic Embassies.

AGENDA

10:00-10:20 REGISTRATION, COFFEE
10:20 WELCOME SPEECHES

• Jānis Rozenbergs, Cēsis Mayor
• Ine Måreng, Ambassador of Norway to Latvia

10:30 OPENING SPEECH: NORDIC-BALTIC COOPERATION: TRADITION, VALUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

• Online address of Ilze Indriksone, Minister of Economics of the Republic of Latvia
• Ieva Siliņa, Advisor to the Minister on Innovation and Digitalisation, the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia 

10:40 KEYNOTE: WHAT IS LATVIA FOR NORDIC BUSINESSES AND WHAT IS THE NORDIC REGION FOR LATVIA’S BUSINESSES?

• Ivi Anna Buce, Director of Investment Project Department, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

PART I: STEM AND ITS GROWING INFLUENCE ON ECONOMIES, INDUSTRIES AND EDUCATION

10:55 KEYNOTE: INTEGRATING SCIENCE INTO BUSINESSES. What drives innovation?

• John Tully, Chairman of MikroTik and the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia

11:10 KEYNOTE: DRIVING INTEREST FOR STEM. What drives innovation and why should people choose science?

• Jaan Praks, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, Aalto University, Finland

11:25 PANEL DISCUSSION: STEM OR NOT STEM? The significance of STEM competencies for economic development
Moderator: Pauls Irbins, President of the Latvian Space Industry Association and the Director of the Space Education Centre in Cēsis

Participants

• Tālis Juhna, Vice-Rector for Research, Riga Technical University
• Intars Palameiks, Sales Manager, TietoEvry
• Anna Andersone, Founder, Riga TechGirls

12:15-12:40 COFFEE BREAK
 

PART II: SPACE AS A CATALYST FOR STEM AND GLOBAL ECONOMIES

12:40 KEYNOTE: SPACE AS AN OLD INSPIRATION AND A NEW REALITY. Why invest into space?

• Åsunn Lyngedal, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Andøya Space Education and Director at UiT The Arctic University of Norway

12:55 KEYNOTE: SPACE AS AN OPPORTUNITY. How invest into space?

• Timo Stein, Head of Space Technology at Kjeller Innovasjon and Managing Director at European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Norway

13:10 PANEL DISCUSSION: SPACE AS A CATALYST FOR STEM AND NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Moderator: Pauls Irbins, President of the Latvian Space Industry Association and the Director of the Space Education Centre in Cēsis

Participants:

• Eglė Elena Šataitė, Head of Space Programmes at Innovation Agency Lithuania
• Reinis Āzis, Business Development (New Energy) at VTTI and Member of Supervisory Board, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
• Kristaps Banga, Head of Innovation & Growth Accenture Baltics, Accenture Latvia
• Jaan Praks, Assistant Professor, Aalto University, Finland

13:40 – 14:05 COFFEE BREAK

PART III: GOAL-ORIENTED AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE NORDIC-BALTIC COOPERATION

14:05 KEYNOTE: MISSION-ORIENTED APPROACH FOR BALTIC – NORDIC COOPERATION

• Raimonds Lapiņš, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Economics, Republic of Latvia

14:20 KEYNOTE: MISSION SATELLITE AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION

• Angelina Bekasova, Space and Innovation Policy Senior Expert, Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia and Director for International Relations and Industry Development at the Latvian Space Industry Association

14:35  PANEL DISCUSSION: NORDIC – BALTIC SPACE COOPERATION TO BENEFIT INDUSTRIES ON EARTH
Moderator: Pauls Irbins, President of the Latvian Space Industry Association and the Director of the Space Education Centre in Cēsis
Participants:

• Åsunn Lyngedal, Director at UiT the Arctic University of Norway and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Andøya Space Education
• Jānis Vucāns, President of the Baltic Assembly and Member of Parliament of Latvia, Member of the Education, Culture and Science Committee; Member of the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee
• Raimonds Lapiņš, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Economics, Republic of Latvia
• Timo Stein, Head of Space Technology at Kjeller Innovasjon and Managing Director at European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Norway

15:20  CLOSING SPEECH

• Stefan Eriksson, Director, Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia 

15:30 NETWORKING LATE LUNCH at Cēsis Concert Hall

16:30 OPTIONAL: VISIT TO CONSTRUCTION SITE OF CESIS SPACE EDUCATION CENTRE (NORWAY GRANTS)