On 18 July 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, and the Director of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, Dr Modris Greitāns, at VAS State Radio and Television Centre of Latvia in the Television Tower of Zaķusala, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of Quantum Technologies in Latvia. This brings up to 13 the number of partners that have joined the memorandum.
“I am happy that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has joined the circle of partners under this memorandum, as when thinking about our country’s development, the progress of Latvian science and the involvement of our scientists in the creation of innovative technologies, and our joint work to put modern technologies and scientific inventions into practice, our joint functioning must be based on three main cornerstones: cooperation, exploitation of opportunities and our potential, and understanding of national security and international cooperation,” Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said, emphasizing that such a memorandum of cooperation is a “road map” for joint action among public administration institutions, scientific institutions and private companies, as well as IT industry leaders to ensure the strategic interests of the country in the field of high technology. “The memorandum will enable partners to reach a common understanding of the knowledge and opportunities that exist and to foster sustainable cooperation in order to pool efforts and help Latvia develop quantum technology, promote achievements internationally and attract cooperation partners.”
Baiba Braže noted that NATO is currently building a transatlantic quantum community, where Latvia could also have a major role to play. “The quantum industry in our country is already at a level that allows us not only to join this transatlantic quantum community but also to take the lead at some point. There are not many countries like that,” the Foreign Minister underlined.
Background information about the Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of Quantum Technologies in Latvia
On October 19, 2023, during the international forum "5G Techritory" in Riga, the first 11 cooperation partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of Quantum Technologies in Latvia: PLC "Latvian State Radio and Television Centre", PLC "Electronic Communications", University of Latvia, Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, LLC "LMT", LLC "Tet", LLC "Mikrotīkls", Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Defence, Environmental Protection and Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
The Memorandum provides for the promotion of the international competitiveness of Latvian high technologies in the field of quantum technologies, including (1) by developing local competence and innovations; (2) establishing, developing and sharing a test environment for technological solutions; (3) supporting the creation, adaptation and coherent development of innovative solutions of quantum technologies; (4) promoting cooperation of the academic sector with industry in order to activate knowledge transfer in the national economy of Latvia; (5) holding joint meetings several times a year to discuss the status of existing initiatives, current projects and collaborative works in the development of quantum technologies.
Development of quantum technologies in Latvia
One of the most important directions in the development of quantum technologies is the security sector. With the advent of quantum computers in the market, existing encryption principles will be at risk. In preparation for the "quantum era," researchers are intensively building new data coding algorithms and modifying, testing, adjusting communication channels to streams of quantum states. Currently, a project for the creation of quantum communication infrastructure and networks at the national level is being implemented in Latvia with the aim of supporting knowledge, skills, technologies and ideas related to practical applications of quantum mechanics, as well as other projects with applications of quantum technologies. It is planned that the quantum network for the use of secure services for public sector institutions, merchants and private individuals in Latvia will be available already at the end of 2025.
In the field of quantum in Latvia, the academic sector, industry and public administration are already successfully cooperating to create and implement innovations. Latvia has so far excelled internationally in various areas of quantum technologies, including quantum algorithms, quantum sensors, quantum communications and quantum nanoelectronics. Scientists from the University of Latvia – tenour professor Andris Ambainis and professor Mārcis Auziņš – are already among the world's most recognized scientists in the development of quantum algorithms and quantum sensors. Meanwhile, in the field of quantum communication, Evijs Taube, Leo Trukšāns from the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre, Professor Jurģis Poriņš of Riga Technical University, the company "Tet", as well as scientists from the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia of the University of Latvia are actively working in the field of quantum communications in creating a secure quantum communication network in Latvia. Tenure Professor of the University of Latvia, Vjačeslavs Kaščejevs, has gained international recognition in the field of quantum nanoelectronics.
