3rd Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Business Forum

RIGA, LATVIA

November, 25th – 26th, 2020

The event will be held virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The aim of the forum is to introduce the foreign companies with Latvia’s developments in mechanical engineering and to spur their international growth. We are inviting companies to explore the opportunities in the vibrant engineering sector of Latvia by either establishing a business or sourcing new suppliers from Latvia.

The program includes presentations by distinguished foreign and local engineering industry experts on topics like the future of engineering, industry 4.0., robotics and supplier networks in Latvia.

We hope you will join us to exchange ideas and to form new partnerships in Latvia!

The programme will include:

Overview of the present mechanical engineering sector in Latvia – statistics, insights, perspectives and challenges of today;
Discussions on the future of engineering sector, new markets and development of supplier networks in regional, national and international levels;
Networking and matchmaking event for the foreign buyers and local companies.

Please note:

The Forum will take place online;
The language of the Forum will be English with the simultaneous translation into Latvian;
Attendance is free of charge;

For more information:

andris.alksnis@liaa.gov.lv (Latvia)

Before you visit take a virtual journey through Latvia:

Or watch Latvians accomplish the World’s first human jump with the drone:

November 25th
09:00 - 09:10 Opening remarks

Moderator, Kristaps Tālbergs

Mr Kaspars Rožkalns

Director of Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Mr Jānis Vitenbergs

Minister of the Economics, Republic of Latvia

Mr Vilnis Rantiņš

Chairman of the Advisory Board, Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia (MASOC)
09:10 - 09:30 Industry 4.0. – “The Big Picture”

Prof. Dr. Dieter Wegener, Vice President, Head of External Cooperation, Siemens Corporate Technology, Germany
09:30 - 09:40 Questions & Answers

Prof. Dr. Dieter Wegener, Vice President, Head of External Cooperation, Siemens Corporate Technology, Germany
09:40 - 10:15 Panel Discussion – Industry 4.0, Case Studies, Latvia Success Stories

Mr Roberts Dlohi

Member of the Management Board

“PERUZA” SIA

Mr Thomas Karlsson

CEO

“Mindsource” AB, Sweden

Mr Denis Gacicha

Director General

“Schneider Electric Baltics”

Mr Jānis Poruks

CEO

“ROBOEATZ” SIA
10:15 - 10:30 Insights, perspectives and challenges of mechanical engineering in Latvia

Mr Toms Grīnfelds, Chairman of the Management Board, Associaton of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia (MASOC)
10:30 - 10:50 Break
10:50 - 11:50 Panel discussion: New markets for the Latvian mechanical engineering Industry

USA & Canada

Mr Peter Lapins

Head of European Operations, “BW Papersystems”

Mr Ģirts Ozoliņš

CEO, “Erica Synths” SIA

Mr Aivars Flemings

Chairman of the Management Board

CEO, “Valpro”SIA

Mr Ēriks Bēdiķis

Chairman of the Management Board, “ISP Optics” SIA

Japan & Far East

Mr Arnis Petrānis

Chairman of the Management Board, “PERUZA” SIA

Mrs Alina Aščepkova,

Head of the the LIAA Office in Japan

Africa, case country Namibia

Mr Dainis Rācenis

International Project Manager

Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia (MASOC)
11:50 - 12:45 Sourcing Issues – Panel discussion: Global Supply Chains and “Covid-19” influence. Is it a chance for Latvia to continue?

Mr Christoph Wittwer

Vice President Operations

ANDRITZ Soutec AG (Switzerland)

Mr Flemming Rasmussen

CEO

East Metal A/S (Denmark/Latvia)

Mr Jaakko Ruohoniemi

Sourcing Manager

“Bronto Skylift” Oy (Finland)

Mr Keijo Kivimäki,

Director, category management Pulp and Energy business line

“Valmet”, Finland
12:45 - 13:00 International Logistics

Dr Rolf Neise, Professor at the International School of Management and Consulting (ISM), Germany
13:00 - 14:00 Break
14:00 - 18:00 Matchmaking event
14:00 - 18:30 Pitch sessions: Invention of New Technologies and Materials

Mitutoyo Metrology Laboratory,

Riga Technical University (RTU),

Mr Jakub Ruszkowski

Vice President

Mitutoyo Polska SP.z.o.o.

Mr Jānis Lungevičs

Head of the RTU Mitutoyo Laboratory

„AB Metal“ SIA

New “OKUMA” machining centre – the first in the Baltics

Mr Arnis Balodis

Member of the Management Board

“Baltic3d.EU” SIA

Mr Jānis Jātnieks

Member of the Management Board

Metals and their coatings – development and Characterisation

Dr.phys.Krišjānis Šmits

Head of Laboratory

Institute of Solid State Physics, UL | Materize

Qimtek – manufacturing connections that matter

Mr Sigitas Brazinskas

Regional representative

“Small to medium sized businesses as the motors of innovation in Germany”.

Mr.Josef Stumpf,

Head of BVMW Nordbaden/Rhein-Neckar

“MultiMaterial-Welding – joining technology platform for lightweight and multi-material constructions”

Mr Lasse Behrmann

Project Manager Lightweight Technologies

Bossard GmbH
09:00 - 17:00 November 26th | Virtual matchmaking
09:00 - 17:00 November 27th | Virtual matchmaking

Forum lecturers

Denis Gacicha

Denis Gacicha, Master of Control Technology and Electrical Engineering, has been working for Schneider Electric Lietuva since 2006. Currently is the General Manager at Schneider Electric Baltics. Graduated from Kaunas University of Technology and Dublin Institute of Technology.

Tomas Karlsson

CEO & Founder Mindsource AB

Alīna Aščepkova

Head of the LIAA Representative Office in Japan

Toms Grīnfelds

Chairman of the Board of the Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries (MASOC) and Member of the Board of the Mechanical Engineering Competence Centre (MKC) and of Tehnobuss Latvija.

Jaakko Ruohoniemi

Jaakko Ruohoniemi is currently working as a Sourcing Manager for Bronto Skylift Oy in Tampere, Finland.

Arnis Balodis

Arnis Balodis is sales manager ir Metālmeistars. Metālmeistars is family company making various kind of metal parts.

Dainis Rācenis

Dainis Racenis joined MASOC as Manager of International projects in 2018, developing an integrated marketing strategy for Central Baltic ( Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden) companies, entering into the markets of Southern Africa within the framework of EU project SME Aisle.

Flemming Rasmussen

Strategic and commercial Business Executive

Aivars Flemings

Aivars Flemings is the President of the Executive Board at VALPRO, one of the largest metal working companies in the Baltics.

Jānis Poruks

Janis Poruks is the founder and CEO of RoboEatz – a company developing a robotic food service solution for the B2B market, solving labor shortage in the industry and targeting personalized nutrition to the final consumer.

Dieter Wegener

After graduation in Aeronautical and Aerospace Technology Dieter Wegener worked as scientist at „Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)“.

Jānis Lungēvičš

M.Eng. Janis Lungevics is currently working at the Riga Technical University’s (RTU) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transport and Aeronautics (FMETA) as a Researcher/lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics (DMEM).

Ēriks Bēdiķis

Erik Bedikis (SIA ISP Optics Latvia, GM & Chairman of the Board).

Arnis Petrānis

Arnis Petranis graduated from Riga Politechnical Institute in1977 as mechanical engineer.

Dr. Rolf Niese

Dr Rolf Neise is currently working as an Associated Professor / lecturer at the International School of Management (ISM) in Hamburg, a private university with a focus on international business.

Peter Lapins

Peter Lapins is currently a Sr. Vice President of BWPapersystems, (BWP) a machinery manufacturer serving the paper industry worldwide.

Ģirts Ozoliņš

Ģirts Ozoliņš is the founder and visionary of the electronic musical instrument development and production company Erica Synths.

Roberts Dlohi

Member of the Board, “PERUZA” (Latvia)

Peruza is smart budget equipment specialist for processing. Since beginning until present day we offer great mechanical engineering solutions. For the last 13 years Robert Dlohi has been a member of the board of PERUZA company, which designs and manufactures production equipment.