Brighten Christmas for 326 foster kids

The Latvian Foster Family Association supports families that raise children who have been left without the care of their biological parents. 175 families of foster parents and guardians raise 326 children in various regions of Latvia. As every year, the Association holds campaign "Christmas Angels" and welcomes both financial and in-kind donations – Christmas gifts and treats for the New Year celebration on January 4.

AmCham raises €7120 for charities in 2024

In 2024 we have raised €7120 benefitting our principal charities promoting the health and well-being of Latvia's children: Children's Hospital Foundation, Latvian Foster Family Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities Latvija and SOS Children’s Villages. All proceeds from the ticket sales have been distributed to support these charities. Thank you to all our members for your donations!

Bite Group pledges €1 million to empower paralympic athletes

Bite Group continues its commitment to making a positive impact in Latvia. In 2024, Bite Latvia and TV3 Group Latvia became the General Partners of the Latvian Paralympic Committee, signing a four-year agreement to provide €1 million in financial and informational support. This partnership is focused on supporting athlete preparation, attracting new athletes, and promoting training camps, all while advancing the principles of inclusion through parasports.

AmCham meets new leadership of LIAA

On December 17, the Board and leaders of AmCham advocacy groups met with Ieva Jagere, new Director of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) and Laura Strovalde, Deputy Director to discuss the reorganization of the agency and further collaboration. The main focus of LIAA will be investment and export promotion with an emphasis on the priority sectors defined in the Smart Specialization Strategy of Latvia (RIS3). 

Latvia and Microsoft will work together to advance AI innovation

On December 3, the Ministries of Economics and Smart Administration and Regional Development, LIAA, and the State Digital Development Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft underscoring Latvia’s commitment to developing a National Center for AI and advancing key digital initiatives. This partnership will strengthen Latvia’s technological ecosystem, driving economic growth and enhancing the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of public services.

Latvian Education Accelerator will present first year results

The Latvian Education Accelerator, established last year, invites members to join a presentation to highlight the progress of its activities on January 17 at the Swedbank Head office. The event will showcase the results of the survey on the future career of high-school students. The Latvian Education Accelerator is an initiative by the World Economic Forum, in Latvia coordinated by our member ERDA with the strategic vision put forward by Co-Chairs – Minister of Education and Science, Minister of Economics, Chairman of the Board of Swedbank Latvia and Managing Director of Accenture Baltics.

AmCham is hiring

We are looking for an Office Manager to ensure the efficient functioning of our office and operations. This position is expected to have strong organizational, communication, time management and administrative skills. We offer an opportunity to serve the largest foreign business organization in Latvia in striving to improve the business and investment climate. If you know someone who might be a good fit for this position, please send them our way!

On December 12, the Healthcare Work Group convened to review its activities from the past year and discuss priorities for the upcoming year. Over the past year, the group has held more than 40 meetings, produced 5 opinion letters and articles, hosted 5 events, and conducted 10 meetings with stakeholders.

Emil Syundyukov re-elected Deputy Chair of the Digital Health Council

Emil Syundyukov was nominated by the AmCham Digital Health WG to continue co-chairing the work of the Digital Health Council under the auspices of the Ministry of Health. The Digital Health Council is a consultative institution bringing together stakeholders to develop a digital health ecosystem that ensures patient access to services and increases patient engagement.

The Digital Affairs & AI work group met on December 10 to review its activities of 2024 and discuss the priorities for the next year. The group will meet the new National Center for AI to continue advancing key digital initiatives. A special shoutout to Cognizant, Cobalt, Ellex, Mitigate and RTU Riga Business School for promoting the AI topic throughout the year!