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Research groups

Competitiveness of Business and Sustainable Society Development Research Group

Research direction:

  • Efficiency of production processes and competitiveness of companies;

  • Professional education and career support for the sustainable development of society.

Aim:

  • Identifies opportunities and solutions for increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of the manufacturing processes of individual companies contributing to the development of bioresource industries at regional level;

  • Develops sustainable development of society through research, approbation and practical implementation of educational ecology concepts.

This research group brings together scientists who are specialised in:

  • International coopertion;
  • Collaboration with industry;
  • Innovative products;
  • Innovative entrepreneurship;
  • Innovative solutions for training.

Emphasis:

  • Emphasis of research is on international and national level studies regarding issues important to business and society development: improving business profitability and competitiveness; finding out how the innovations introduced in small agricultural holdings and the diversification of their operation can facilitate the development of a competitive bioeconomy; creating a knowledge base regarding the development processes of society and its separate groups.

Topicality:

  • The topicality of research is based on several challenges defined by the European Union: guiding the economy towards the more sustainable use of renewable resources; facilitating the competitiveness of business, especially small business; developing solution for social inclusion.

Importance of results of this research:

  • Taking into account the challenges defined by the European Union, the results of this research are important to society as a whole, but especially to entrepreneurs.
Sustainable and Smart Territorial Development Research Group

Research direction: Research of sustainable territorial development possibilities.

Aim: Identifies drivers, barriers and solutions for sustainable territorial development in the context of sustainable use of bioresources and raising the quality of life in society.

This research group brings together scientists who are specialised in:

  • International coopertion;
  • Interinstitutional study;
  • Interdisciplinary research (rural tourism market, entrepreneurship, regional development);
  • Inovative approaches for assessing economic transformation opportunities;
  • Cooperation with municipalities and businesses in the field of smart growth.

Topicality:

  • The topicality of the research is related to the fact that the currently existing different regional development levels, and socio-economic differences between the regions of Latvia - details of the natural and cultural environment, differences in traditions and economic activities, income diversity - have a negative impact on the rate of development. Latvia is becoming a pronouncedly monocentric country with a fragmented administrative-territorial system.

The research is focused on topical societal issues and creating a knowledge base regarding the development processes of society and its separate groups.

Importance of results of this research:

  • The results of the research are important to society as whole, but especially to politicians and employees of local governments, as research results will provide scientifically reasoned suggestions in the area of rural and regional policy in order to facilitate the comprehension of the countryside as a system and progression towards the creation and development of smart regions, as well as the increasing of innovation capacity in regions.
Sustainable Bioeconomy Research Group

Research direction: Sustainable development economics of the bioresource industries.

Aim: Identifies opportunities, barriers and solutions for sustainable development of bioresource industries at national level.

This research group brings together scientists who are specialised in:

  • International cooperation with leading European science institutions;
  • Interdisciplinary research (agri-food, forestry-wood, climate smart agriculture);
  • Innovative solutions for assessing the impact of bioeconomy;
  • Development of data bases and modelling tools.

Emphasis:

  • The main emphasis of the research is placed on international level studies regarding issues important to the economic development of Latvia and whole European Union – increasing the competitiveness of bioresource industries; developing agricultural systems that use resources efficiently and are able to adapt to climate change; increasing of the added value of local products; an interdisciplinary link between the development of the national economy and environmental impacts formed by it, specifically GHG emissions from the agricultural sector.

Topicality:

  • The topicality of research is related to the development of the bioeconomy and the ever-growing demand for food, as well as renewable materials of biological origin that change the current use of bioresources substantially, form the need for new knowledge and provide a better understanding regarding the possible uses of local bioresources.

Importance of results of this research:

  • This makes the results of the research important to the society as a whole, but especially to entrepreneurs, bioeconomy and bioresource policy makers, as well as their practical implementers.
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