At the beginning of November, Mārcis Donerblics, Director of the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC), together with a Latvian delegation, participated in the Open World leadership exchange programme mission “Commercial Utilisation of Space Technologies”, administered by the Congressional Office for International Leadership. The programme aims to strengthen cooperation between science and business and to promote the development of a modern innovation ecosystem. 

During the ten-day visit, the Latvian delegation visited Washington, D.C., and Huntsville, Alabama. The delegation was led by Aļina Jefremova, Economic Specialist at the Embassy of the United States of America in Latvia, and included Kaspars Karolis, Space Sector Expert at the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia and Head of the Latvian Delegation to the European Space Agency, Mārcis Donerblics, Director of VIRAC, Ļevs Lapkis, Head of ESA BIC Latvia and the Latvian Space Industry Association, Ingus Mitrofanovs, Director of the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics at the University of Latvia, and Viktors Gutakovskis, Lecturer and Researcher at Riga Technical University.

The programme began in Washington, D.C., where the Latvian representatives joined participants from four other countries. The agenda included sessions on American federalism, leadership, and innovation policy, led by representatives from both academia and industry. 

After Washington, the delegation travelled to one of the leading space research centres in the United States — Huntsville, also known as “Rocket City”. It was here that the first American rockets were developed, as well as NASA’s Saturn V rocket, which carried humans to the Moon. In Huntsville, the Latvian delegation was hosted by the Huntsville Area Friendship Force. During the visit, participants became acquainted with the local space and innovation ecosystem and discussed opportunities for cooperation between Latvia and the United States. One of the most significant events was a meeting with Tommy Battle, Mayor of Huntsville, who emphasised that Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world. The park is home to a dynamic high-technology and space community, including companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Blue Origin, among others. During the meeting, opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Huntsville and Latvia’s growing space sector were discussed.

Meetings with engineers and experts from United States companies provided Latvian representatives with the opportunity to learn about ways to accelerate technology transfer, manage innovation programmes, and build strategic partnerships. The Latvian delegation also gained valuable insights into how the United States successfully integrates research and industry, thereby fostering the development of high-technology and space innovations. By visiting companies and research institutes, representatives of the Latvian delegation established new contacts, deepened their understanding of the latest space technologies, and shared experiences regarding Latvia’s achievements and challenges in the space sector.

As a young space ecosystem, Latvia aims to implement larger projects in the space sector, commercialise space products, and generate tangible benefits for society and the economy. The experience of the United States in this field provided valuable insights and a new perspective, while the visit marked an important step in strengthening transatlantic cooperation through the development of new partnerships in research, entrepreneurship, and technological development.