NEWS

At the hackathon, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences will look for new ideas for using wood materials and technologies

21 December 2023

In order to promote innovations in wood processing and the production of value-added products, as well as in the use of technologies, 23-25 2024 Wood technology hackathon organized by Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) and the Vidzeme Planning Region will take place in Valmiera in February.

Specialists in the construction of wooden buildings and the wood industry, students, information technology specialists, engineers, etc., are invited to apply. Interested or industry enthusiasts and experts who have ideas on this topic. We also invite companies that are ready to offer their employees' teams and time to develop innovative solutions in the following topics: Digitization in the construction of wooden and clean buildings; Reusable and transformable scenes; Transformable wooden interiors.

Director of the ViA study program "Sustainable building construction" (New Construction School) p.i. Marija Katrīna Dambe:
"While implementing the study program of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences "Sustainable building construction", we have already established excellent cooperation between students and employers-industry entrepreneurs and organizations, and the hackathon is another form in which we can strengthen both cooperations and contribute to the creation of synergies between industries for them: in the production of wood products, in the construction of wooden buildings, in information technologies, etc. This spring, the "small hackathon" confirmed both the potential of ideas and the demand for this form of creating innovations. Therefore, we are sure that the February event will contribute even more to the industries."

"The fourth Vidzeme wood hackathon invites entrepreneurs, students, and industry professionals to get involved in creating innovative solutions for the wood industry. Emphasizing the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation, experts and students of the wood construction, forestry, and IT industry are invited to use their knowledge and experience to jointly find solutions to various challenges and make a significant contribution to the more effective development of the wood industry," says Ieva Kreile, a senior expert of the Vidzeme planning region.

A hackathon or idea marathon is an idea generation event, during which established teams create new and innovative solutions to various identified challenges in a short time. A hackathon is a meeting place for representatives and enthusiasts of various levels and professions. You don't need to be a professional to participate, the event format is not just for students.

The common goal of presenting ideas is to promote the cooperation of the municipality, higher education institutions, businesses, and various other groups of society for the development of business in the Vidzeme planning region.

The ideas created during the hackathon belong to the teams that created them. If the team wins one of the challenges, it is invited to participate in the implementation or further development of the idea together with the author of the task.

Language of the event: English. You can read more information about the event, as well as apply here: https://hakatons.vidzeme.lv

The wood technology hackathon will take place in the Vidzeme Entrepreneurship Center project of the Vidzeme Planning Region "Entrepreneurship Support Measures in the Vidzeme Planning Region", which is co-financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway using EEA grants, as well as the Blended Intensive Program (from English: Blended Intensive Program) support.

Information prepared by:
Communication group of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
Phone: +371 26418755
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Vidzeme University's of Applied Sciences study direction "Information Technology" has been accredited for the maximum term of six years

09 December 2023

The "Academic Information Center" foundation has accredited Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) study direction "Information technologies, computer engineering, electronics, telecommunications, computer management, and computer science" for a maximum period of six years.

ViA rector Agnese Dāvidsone:
"This assessment of the Study Quality Commission indicates that the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral study programs offered by ViA meet the highest standards and provide an excellent education in the field of information technology. This is an assessment of our university, which confirms not only the quality of studies and compliance with the labor market requirements but also the excellent work of the teaching staff and the research achievements. The maximum term of accreditation provides confidence and stability to current and potential students, the industry, employers, and cooperation partners."

ViA in the new 2024/2025 study year, plans to enroll students in the following study programs of the direction "Information technologies, computer engineering, electronics, telecommunications, computer management and computer science": - bachelor's study program "Information technologies" (full-time and part-time studies; in Latvian and English); - bachelor study program "Mechatronics" (full-time studies in Latvian); - Master's studies "Cybersecurity engineering" (full-time studies; in Latvian and English); - in master's studies "Virtual reality and smart technologies" (full-time studies in Latvian and English).

Information prepared by:
Communication group of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
Phone: 26418755

Rector of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences - Vice President of European University E³UDRES² Association

09 December 2023

At the beginning of December, the rector of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) Agnese Dāvidsone was elected to the position of vice-president of the European University E³UDRES² Association, and she will fulfill these duties for the next three years.

The European University E³UDRES² is a network of higher education institutions located in Europe that have decided to cooperate in research, teaching, innovation, etc. areas. ViA E³UDRES² operates from 2020. In the autumn of this year, the European Commission approved the project, which foresees Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences' participation in this network in the following years as well. ViA is one of the nine partner universities operating in E³UDRES², and the only professional higher education institution from Latvia.

“E³UDRES² is a unique international opportunity not only for our faculty but also for students. While studying at ViA, the young person will simultaneously get an education at the European University. It is an opportunity to receive international practice and knowledge. On the other hand, E³UDRES² provides new experience, innovations, joint European-wide projects and initiatives for teaching staff and employees," informed A. Dāvidsone. "Working under the leadership of the E³UDRES² association, I hope to develop not only this alliance of universities and universities as a global network, but also to strengthen the role and opportunities of Vidzeme University."

Taking into account the assessment of the European Commission and the granted support of approximately 14.4 million, the work of the E³UDRES² alliance will continue until 2027. In the next stage, the main emphasis will be placed on strengthening the already existing cooperation of nine full-fledged partner universities. This allows ViA to continue to be an active creator of its future university together with eight other universities in Europe that share a long-term vision, mission, values , and basic operating principles.

The main missions for research and study development from October 2023 are "Health, well-being, and social inclusion", "Digital solutions and (applied) deep technologies", "Flexible economy and innovations" and "Creative industries for regional identity". E³UDRES² will also continue to strengthen its interaction with regional ecosystems, entrepreneurs, and innovators to further develop joint E³UDRES² Open Innovation Hubs.

Scientists from the Baltic states and Norway have started building a database of information on the Baltic states including gross domestic product (GDP) figures that will cover the past 100 years

10 March 2021

In May 2021, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (hereinafter – ViA) with partners from Universities of Tartu and Vilnius as well as the Norwegian School of Economics began working on an ambitious research project within the framework of the Baltic Research Program. The project “Quantitative data about societal and economic transformations in the regions of the three Baltic States during the last hundred years for the analysis of historical transformations and the overcoming of future challenges” (BALTIC100)” will preserve quantitative data by creating a data repository reflecting social and economic transformations in the three Baltic regions over the last hundred years in order to provide a quantitative analysis of a long-term development trends in the region since 1920.

The project leader is Gatis Krūmiņš, a leading researcher at ViA. His explanation concerning the topicality of the project: “We have managed to gather a strong, interdisciplinary team of scientists from the Baltics and Scandinavia that will work to increase the knowledge base concerning our countries. And this is not just a question of economics. This knowledge will allow us to analyze historical events which are still interpreted tendentiously by various parties for various reasons. For example, events in the Baltic states during the occupation of the USSR."

The project involves experienced researchers from Estonia (Olaf Mertelsmann and Martin Klesment, University of Tartu), Lithuania (Zenon Norkus, Vilnius University) and Norway (Ola Honningdal Grytten, Norwegian School of Economics), as well as young scientists who will develop their doctoral dissertations during the project. A statistical data repository will be created, where data series on demographic and socio-economic development indicators will be available up to the regional level. This repository will serve as an open source of reliable information for planning and forecasting different scenarios in regional policy-making as well as for media literacy and strategic communication needs. The project plans to prepare a collective monograph and eight high-quality research papers to be published in international publishing houses.

The Baltic100 project is one of the projects of the Baltic Research Program financially supported by the European Economic Area (EEA) grants. The implementation of the project started on May 1, 2021, with funding in the amount of 999092,70 euros available until 2024.