You can watch a livestream with English-language translation via the link below and see the agenda listed beneath that.
During the forum, local and international experts will discuss the role of science, innovation, data accessibility, and digitalisation, as well as the efficiency of public administration in promoting national competitiveness.
The forum is organised upon the initiative of the National Competitiveness Commission.
10.05 Opening remarks by the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs
10.15 Keynote. Lars Frølund, Member of the Board of the European Innovation Council, Special Advisor to EVP Margrethe Vestager, Strategic Advisor to the NATO Innovation Fund, and Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
10.40 Science and innovation: a breakthrough for the knowledge economy? * Moderator: Liene Briede, Vice-Rector for Innovation, Riga Technical University, Ambassador of the European Innovation Council * Ints Dālderis, Adviser to Prime Minister for European Union Funds * Albert Cirera, Professor of Electronics Engineering at the University of Barcelona, former Vice Rector of Entrepreneurship, Transfer, and Innovation at the University of Barcelona * Lars Frølund, Member of the Board of the European Innovation Council, Special Advisor to EVP Margrethe Vestager, Strategic Advisor to the NATO Innovation Fund, and Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) * Taavi Madiberk, CEO & Co-Founder of Skeleton Technologies
11.55 Data availability and digitalisation: a basis for data-driven decision-making? * Moderator: Arkādijs Zvaigzne, PhD candidate at Harvard University, Research Director at RTU Riga Business School, Senior Expert at Ministry of Education and Science * Edvīns Elferts, Data and Digital Transformation Work Group Leader of Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia; Head of the Data, AI and Emerging Technologies Centre “KPMG Lighthouse” * Jānis Lazda, META Public Policy Manager for International Trade and Economic Policy * Marius Jurgilas, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Axiology, former Board Member at the Bank of Lithuania, Professor at Vilnius University * Victoria Bew, Deputy Director, Strategy at i.AI (United Kingdom’s Government’s incubator for Artificial Intelligence)
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Implementation of OECD recommendations: how effective is the Latvian public administration? * Moderator: Daunis Auers, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Latvia, Director of the PhD Programme "Social Sciences", Chair of the Board of Latvian Strategy and Economic Research Institute * Jurģis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Economics * Raivis Kronbergs, Director of the State Chancellery * Inga Vilka, Member of the Council of the State Audit Office * Mame Fatou Diagne, Head of Division, Country Studies, Economics Department, OECD
15.15 'Fireside chat' with the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs Moderator: Arnis Sauka, Chairman of the State Competitiveness Council, Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Head of the Council of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
