On March 8th, representatives of the British Chamber of Commerce held a business breakfast event with the Mayor of Riga, Vilnis Ķirsis, and Deputy Mayor Linda Ozola. The event focused on discussing the management priorities of the Riga City Council, investment strategies, and the current state of affairs in the infrastructure, transport, housing, energy, real estate, and tourism sectors.
During the discussion, BritCham members provided valuable insights into the city’s development priorities and offered perspectives on pressing issues affecting entrepreneurs and investment attraction.
We extend our sincere appreciation to all attendees for their participation, which contributed to an enriching discourse.
Department for Business and Trade (DBT) at the British Embassies in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are leading a trade mission for UK cyber security companies and organisations that are keen to learn about the market landscape in the Baltics.
The visit from the UK side is organized by the British Embassy in Riga and from the Latvian side – the Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the Republic of Latvia. The seminar will take place on February 16th, 9:00 AM. The seminar will be held in person only and the number of seats is limited.
Venue: Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel Riga (24 Kuģu iela, Zemgales priekšpilsēta, Riga).
Event agenda (to be updated):
09.00–9.30 | Participant registration 09.30–9.35 | Welcome address by the representative of the British Embassy in Latvia 09.35–11.10 | Informational seminar: “Protecting the supply chain” – Vistalworks, UK “Strategic national planning” – Thomas Murray Cyber Ltd, UK “National security and resilience” – Tag International, UK “Cybersecurity in Latvia – threat landscape, strategy, governance” – Edgars Kiukucāns, Director of the Cybersecurity Policy Department at the Ministry of Defence and Baiba Kaškina CERT.LV general manager “Securing Latvia’s digital tomorrow” – Dmitrijs Ņikitins, Tet Chief Technology Officer 11.10–11.40 | Business card exchange and discussion between British and Latvian companies 11.40–11.50 | Coffee break 11.50–13.20 | Contact Fair for Latvian and British companies 13.20–13.30 | Break 13.30–15.00 | Reception organized by the British Embassy More information about UK companies participating in the mission can be found here.
The event will be conducted in English.
Participation: free of charge.
Latvian participants are invited to register by February 7th by completing the registration form here.
The last Saturday of January 2024 saw a gathering of Scottish culture (and a good party) lovers for the Burns Supper.
We’re thrilled to share highlights from the exceptional Burns Supper 2024 that took place on January 27th at Radisson Blu Daugava. It was truly an extraordinary evening!
The joy of the Burns Night celebration is something we hope you can vicariously experience through the warmth of the smiles and the graceful dance steps that filled the night.
Our sincere appreciation goes to all contributors to the BritCham Charity Fund, making a meaningful impact on our projects. Special thanks to the contributors of the raffle prizes, and congratulations to the fortunate winners!
Thanks to your generosity of our guests who purchased raffle tickets during the evening, we were able to raise a total of 8460 euros in donations. We are incredibly grateful for your support!
Among all 16 tables, the Zebra Cargo table earned the title of the most generous by purchasing the most lottery tickets. Thank you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts!
A special acknowledgment goes to HMA Paul Brummell and Mrs. Brummell for their gracious presence and authentic speeches. Your steadfast support is invaluable.
Our heartfelt thanks to the following individuals:
Piper Alan McGeachie
MC of the evening, Gordon Latimir
Scott Kennedy for Selkirk Grace
Anna and Robin Poynder for toasts to lads and lassies
Chef Andrejs Kilgisovs and his team for an outstanding meal
Caller Astrida Rogule for expertly guiding the Scottish dances
Lastly, our deep appreciation goes to the main supporters of the evening:
Radisson Blu Daugava and Tamāra Vaviļina
RISEBA University and Gaļina Zilgalve
Aston Martin Riga and Karīna Makarenko
Restaurant Singhs and Kully Singh
Latimira un Partneri and Gordon Latimir.
For a glimpse of the event, check out the initial PICTURES and the VIDEO
Save the date: January 25th next year for another round of BURNS NIGHT celebration!
We are pleased to present this year’s Christmas charity campaign, aimed at supporting the creation of a music therapy room at the DOMINO centre of the Latvian Children’s Support Fund, working with children with behavioral disorders. http://lbaf.lv/lv/projekti/mul
Representatives of the DOMINO center say: “In Latvia, children with communication difficulties and behavioral disorders are increasingly recognized and diagnosed (which is good, on the one hand, because they can get the necessary support faster). As the demand for services continues to grow, this year we want to open the third round, expanding the number of specialist offices, one of which will be a music therapy room.”
How can YOU contribute? You and/or your company are welcome to purchase one (or more) of the musical instruments on the list compiled by the music therapist and bring it to the BritCham office for a joint donation.
As you will see on the list, there is a wide range of instruments available at different prices. As some of the instruments are quite expensive we like to encourage collaboration between members and friends. Before choosing the purchase of a particular instrument or desire to collaborate, I kindly invite you to contact kristine.zvirbule@britcham.lv to make sure that the particular item has not already been taken.
Multifunctional Support Center DOMINO at Cementa Street 12, Riga, established by the Latvian Children’s Support Foundation (Latvijas Bērnu atbalsta fonda izveidoto Multifunkcionālo atbalsta centru DOMINO) is currently the first to implement the Foundation’s program “The Way to Yourself”: Social rehabilitation service for children with behavioral disorders and communication difficulties (“Ceļš pie sevis”: Sociālās rehabilitācijas pakalpojums bērniem ar uzvedības traucējumiem un saskarsmes grūtībām). In simple words – it is a place where children (about 4-9 years old) and their parents come and work together with experts with behavioral problems, as well as various developmental disorders. It serves a very important social function as these are families that have been brought to the center’s attention by the social service professionals who work with families in difficult conditions. The place is really wonderful, cozy, warm, and this centre will grow significantly very soon!
The duration of this campaign is until December 5.
British Chambers of Commerce publish a framework for the future ‘The Power of British Business’.
At the British Chambers of Commerce, we engage with all parties to ensure that every firm has exactly what they need to achieve their full growth potential. As politicians gather for their conferences in the coming weeks, we are proud to publish a framework for the future to fully unlock ‘The Power of British Business’.
Our new report outlines key policy tasks on economic growth, skills and employment, trade; and net-zero.
To achieve green generation targets set as part of Latvenergo Group’s medium-term strategy, Latvenergo AS plans to acquire photovoltaic power stations, wind farms and hybrid parks for generating energy from renewable sources.
To diversify its generation portfolio, meet EU-wide decarbonisation goals and deliver long-term shareholder value, Latvenergo AS has set ambitious targets for expanding its green generation capacity through an active M&A strategy, among other things.
PwC Deals in cooperation with PwC Legal has been engaged as an independent adviser during the acquisition to assess and select projects according to agreed conditions, while ensuring the protection of confidential information and process management.
Largest ever delegation of Asia Pacific (APAC) investors travel to the UK for the start of London Tech Week.
Cutting edge British tech firms are set to pitch for multi-million-pound deals with Asia Pacific (APAC) investors today just weeks after the UK agreed to join the CPTPP – a £9 trillion combined GDP trade block in the Indo-Pacific.
As part of the biggest APAC delegation to ever visit London Tech Week, investors representing funds of over £100bn will meet with UK tech companies as they seek cash injections into innovative new projects, ranging from fintech and clean tech to life sciences and Artificial Intelligence.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) upgrades its 2023 GDP forecast to 0.3%, but economic activity will remain weak throughout the year, according to the organisation’s latest Quarterly Economic Forecast.
In the short term, the BCC is expecting quarterly GDP to remain flat throughout 2023, with three quarters of 0.1% growth and one quarter of no growth – leading to overall growth of 0.3% for the year. This is in line with the Bank of England’s forecast, but more optimistic than the OBR’s. The BCC expects the economy to grow by 0.6% in 2024.
The slight upwards revision from the BCC’s previous Q1 forecast of -0.3% to 0.3% is due to higher levels of household spending and recent increases in overall business investment. Evidence from recent BCC business surveys also showed a rebounding of business confidence at the start of 2023.
In the first quarter of this year, Signet Bank provided financing to Latvian entrepreneurs in the amount of 20.6 mln EUR, which led to an increase in the bank’s loan portfolio at the end of the first quarter by 10%, compared to December 31, 2022, and reached 118 mln EUR.
Also in 2023, the bank’s management sees significant development prospects. In addition to lending and arranging bond issuance, Signet Bank has clear growth opportunities in servicing corporate clients and providing investment services.
WLEIF is a unique opportunity to gain insights into Latvia’s opportunities, potential and investment trends, create strategic partnerships, and expand your network across industry sectors.
The Forum will include high-level government and corporate speakers with a wealth of experience from Latvia and the world. Participation will provide an exclusive opportunity to learn about the development plans and not-to-miss opportunities offered by the growth story of Latvia.
Date: July 5, 2023
Place: National Library of Latvia, Riga, Mūkusalas iela 3
