Digital Innovation Park founded in Liepaja

To promote the development of the IT sector in Liepāja and to contribute to the exchange of competences between professionals in the sector and community as a whole, the Liepāja City municipality, together with the Liepaja Special Economic Zone Authority, UPB AS company and Sense Media, founded the association “Digital Innovation Park”, which was presented to the public on August 18.

"When we surveyed the largest companies in Liepāja about a year ago, the two most common issues vocalised from the entrepreneurs themselves was a plea to the local government to contribute  and assist in promoting the prestige of the IT industry within the community, so that more and more young people would not afraid studying technology and building their careers in this sector. The another one was to help tackle the lack of skilled professionals, for technology alone cannot survive without human intellectual resources.

“Digital Innovation Park” and the IT industry cluster is our response to the IT industry in Liepāja – it is a real tool for the sector to gain new capacity, to consolidate the strongest, to create opportunities for learning and growing, to exchange competencies and reach new heights,” said the Liepāja City Council Vice-Chairman on strategic planning, Mr Uldis Sesks at the opening event of the association.

The association is established to bring together in the cluster IT professionals and interested parties, thus promoting innovation and the use of new technologies within the Liepāja administrative district, in addition to improving the community’s digital skills.

Among the association’s goals there are also the facilitation of intellectual technology, the growth of the urban economy and sustainable development, including the attraction of European Union funding, support the development and growth of innovative and technologically oriented business, the creation of new jobs in the IT sector, promotion of the international cooperation and cooperation between research institutions and commercial businesses, experience exchange through conferences, meetings and other related events.

Introducing the profile of the “Digital Innovation Park”, Agate Ambulte, the head of the association, pointed out that, estimated personnel shortage number within the IT sector in Latvia currently hits 16 000, while in Europe this gap amounts to around 500 000, so one of the most important tasks is to promote the sector and encourage young people to study IT-related programmes.

To achieve this, some particular activities are being planned, such as messenger campaigns in order to make interested parties more familiar with the different professions of the IT sector and by organising various masterclasses, seminars and discussions for the exchange of competences. One of the first activities inviting stakeholders to participate is the development of 3D games and 3D modelling with generic and parametric design, followed by the acquisition of programming skills.

Currently, the “Digital Innovation Park” has already established Liepāja Technology Cluster and welcomes to join both IT companies and professionals and enthusiasts, who are bound to expand their views on technology-related issues. Among the cluster members in addition to the municipality, Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority and businesses are Liepāja University and other educational institutions that educate new skilled professionals according to the requirements of the industry.

During the opening of the association, there was also a possibility to meet with representatives of Liepāja IT industry companies and to check out the solutions in the digital and information technology sector that are being developed in Liepāja companies.