On 17 April, President Edgars Rinkēvičs visited the Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences to meet with its leadership and discuss current issues related to the institute’s development.
The President discussed the institute’s achievements to date, international cooperation and future development directions with the Director of the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre, Mārcis Donerblics, and the Rector of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Andris Vaivads. Particular attention was paid to the centre’s role in space technologies, data processing and cooperation with the defence sector.
“I was pleased and honoured to return to the Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” in Irbene and to see its significant growth. The Irbene complex is unique – both in terms of its geographical location, the available infrastructure and technologies, and its professional team. In Irbene, we already have world-class infrastructure, now we must ensure that we can use it to its full capacity and deliver world-class results. This requires a substantial expansion of the existing team of researchers and engineering staff, as well as of international cooperation projects, focusing on areas where Latvia has competitive advantages.
The role of space-based technologies continues to grow rapidly. Space has become one of the key domains for strengthening defence capabilities, alongside maritime, land, air and cyber domains, and Irbene provides Latvia with an opportunity to enhance its expertise and capabilities in this field,” said President Edgars Rinkēvičs following his visit.
