Riga, 2 April 2025 – At a solemn event, the Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa, the President of the Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA) Signe Bāliņa and the Chairperson of the Council of the Association of Latvian Universities, the Rector of Rīga Stradiņš University Aigars Pētersons informed the audience about the establishment of the Centre of Artificial Intelligence (MIC).
The Centre of Artificial Intelligence is launched, the first of its kind in Latvia. In collaboration with public administrations, universities and companies, the Centre was established as a private foundation to develop safe, ethical and reliable application of artificial intelligence. The MIC will engage in global AI governance initiatives, promoting responsible and sustainable use of technologies. Its activities are regulated by the Law on the Centre of Artificial Intelligence, which was approved by the Parliament on 6th of March this year.
Inga Bērziņa, Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development, “In the global competition, great oaks from little acorns grow. The need for AI-specific solutions and applications in manufacturing, science, data analysis and other areas creates opportunities for us. Through specialisation, expertise and creativity, we can create sought-after niche products with high added value. If we are fast, accurate and unique, we will definitely succeed. I am delighted that today we can present the composition of the Council of the Centre of Artificial Intelligence. I am glad that colleagues have accepted the challenge to kick-start the Centre and get partners moving on initiatives that will surely benefit us all.”
The Centre will be structured around the Council, a Director and a Secretariat, which will be provided by the National Digital Development Agency (NDDA). Council members will include representatives from universities, LIKTA, MoSARD, the Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Defence:
- Raivis Bremšmits, Deputy State Secretary on Economic Issues, Ministry of Economics;
- Aivars Puriņš, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence;
- Gatis Ozols, Deputy State Secretary on Digital Transformation Issues at the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development;
- Ieva Ilves, cybersecurity and digital policy expert;
- Irina Arhipova, Rector of the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies;
- Ēriks Eglītis, Director of Information Technology Services, University of Latvia;
- Signe Bāliņa, President of the Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA);
- Andrejs Vasiļjevs, co-founder and board member of LLC "Tilde";
- Ņikita Kazakevičs, Head of Ecosystem Cooperation at LLC "Latvijas Mobilais Telefons".
Members of the Council will not be remunerated for their work, thus ensuring impartiality and independence. The competition for the position of MIC leader is expected to be launched in April.
Establishing the MIC as a private foundation will allow the flexibility to attract the necessary expertise, draw on university and private sector resources and ensure efficient governance without creating new positions in the public administration. This legal form ensures swift and professional action while maintaining oversight in the public interest. This will enable MIC management to efficiently involve the necessary specialists and promote innovative solutions. MIC will help companies understand legal requirements and cooperate with public authorities while keeping data security under strict control.
LIKTA President Signe Bāliņa, “Artificial intelligence is one of the key drivers of digital transformation. So, Latvian companies and society as a whole need to develop knowledge and competencies in this area. The creation of the MIC is an important step towards fostering cooperation between industry, academia and public institutions. LIKTA, as one of the co-founders of the Centre, will be actively involved in its activities to ensure that AI solutions contribute to the competitiveness of Latvian companies and the well-being of society.”
The MIC will have four main functions. First, the Centre will promote the deployment of artificial intelligence in various sectors to improve national competitiveness, public interest and security. Second, the MIC will facilitate the introduction of artificial intelligence in public administration, providing more efficient and innovative solutions. Third, it will take care of the inclusion of the Latvian language and cultural heritage in AI systems, and the MIC will analyse the societal risks associated with the use of AI and provide recommendations for their prevention.
The MIC tasks will include building strategic AI innovation partnerships and preparing and implementing pilot projects by attracting funding from abroad. The Centre will also support the introduction of AI in public administration by providing advice and guidance.
Aigars Pētersons, Rector of RSU, Chairperson of the Council of the Association of Latvian Universities, “Science universities are actively developing the use of AI, offering new study programmes, introducing AI solutions in science and administration, and creating an environment where academic staff and students can learn and apply the cutting-edge technologies. For example, the RSU new Masters’ programme “Digital Strategy and AI Management” will prepare leaders who can implement AI in companies and public administration. In turn, the programme “Digital Health” will provide in-depth knowledge on the application of digital technologies in medicine. At the same time, we are developing AI research, integrating AI tools into administrative processes and creating a grant scheme to support innovative initiatives to integrate AI technologies into our degree programmes. By contributing to the creation of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence, our common goal is to build an environment where innovation fosters sustainable development and strengthens our country’s competitiveness.”
The MIC will work with the competent authorities to develop the special regulatory environment. The special regulatory environment will allow developers and maintainers of AI solutions to safely and ethically test AI solutions against the requirements of European Union and Latvian laws and regulations before they are introduced to the market. The data needed for AI training will be identified and prepared. Likewise, the MIC will carry out AI safety risk analysis and prevention.
The Centre will cooperate with competent authorities, such as the Data State Inspectorate, to issue administrative deeds and monitor their enforcement. Participation in the regulatory environment will be limited and subject to legal oversight.