For the second year in a row, the Latgale Planning Region (LPR), which is implementing the EEA Grants project “UAP Latgale”, offers to existing, young and future entrepreneurs, as well as municipal specialists and young people opportunity to participate in various events to promote employment, entrepreneurship and competitiveness of Latgale as a region.
In the presence of 14 creative authors of new business ideas from all over Latgale and competent industry experts, a competition for innovative business ideas “Key to the Future 2022” was held on April 27, 2022 at the Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center with the motto “Create the future today!”.
“There are plenty of innovative business ideas in Latgale!” Sergejs Maksimovs, Chairman of the Development Council of LPR, acknowledges after the final of the competition”.
With the motto “Build the future today!” the participants of the competition from all over Latgale presented their business ideas, competing for the main prize – an experience exchange trip to Norway. The partners from the Agder regional level municipality in Norway of the EEA Grants Project “Entrepreneurship Support Measures in the Latgale Planning Region” (UAP Latgale) will soon organize the reception of the winners to introduce the business environment in Norway and its opportunities to young entrepreneurs.
Andris Kucins, the head of LPR Latgale Business Center, invited to put to use the knowledge gained within the competition, as all participants were given the opportunity to participate in UAP Latgale project seminars on business ideas generation, successful idea development and presentation.
As the participants of the competition themselves admitted – the opportunity to meet like-minded people, network, and exchange experiences is a value that in addition to the knowledge gained during the business idea competition, can be used in their further work!
“Among the submitted business ideas, there are innovative product solutions that have not yet been seen on the Latgale market, which are environmentally friendly or are so-called “niche products”. We see that new technology and platform solutions are also being sought. There are new ideas in the service, manufacturing, eco-design and other sectors that meet current market trends and respond to public demand,” concludes Jānis Lāčplēsis, Chairman of the Latgale Special Economic Zone Monitoring Committee, praising the creativity of participants. “These business ideas will turn into leading companies in the Latgale region, and will be able to use Latgale Special Economic Zone advantages”.”
LPR plans to continue holding this type of competition in the future, promoting entrepreneurship and the development of innovative business ideas in Latgale, while promoting entrepreneurship as a career choice for young people. The implementation of the competition activities will promote the formation of new business associations in the future, as well as provide the necessary business skills to the authors of business ideas.
In total, 22 applications were submitted for the business idea competition “Key to the Future 2022” promoting a healthy lifestyle, outdoor activities and developing high value-added products and improving the environment by recycling plastic waste.
The evaluation of the results of the competition took place in two age groups – young people and adults from the age of 18, and it was the group of young people who had the fiercest competition. Two active and erudite young women are preparing for their trip to Norway: VIKTORIJA ZELENOVSKA from Vilaka State Gymnasium (Balvi region), who presented an idea and a ready-made innovative product for children’s small motor skills development, and VALĒRIJA ORLOVA from the East Latvian Secondary School of Technology (Rēzekne), who surprised both the audience and the Evaluation Commission with the idea of healthy, fast-making drinks made from healthy fruit powders.
In the second group (adults), the winners of the competition were:
IVETA VALPĒTERE from Daugavpils, captivating those present with a useful and innovative service idea in Latgale – a gentle and modern shoe and handbag dry cleaning service;
DANIELA GILMANOVA from Daugavpils Secondary School of Technology – Lyceum, colorfully reflecting her business idea of making unique, comfortable wooden pet houses with innovative design (Lovely Pet`s Houses);
KEITA EMĪLIJA ORLOVSKA from the Eastern Latvian Secondary School of Technology (Rēzekne), excitingly reflecting the idea of a unique cafe near Latgale, which would offer innovative entertainment opportunities and ways to use arcade slot machines, at the same time creating an opportunity to buy goods and souvenirs from different music groups;
IGORS SALDUGEJS from Daugavpils, who reasonably and thoughtfully presented the idea of a testing laboratory in which a team of certified specialists would provide services in the field of non-destructive testing and analysis of metal products;
MARIJA ELKSNIŅA from Daugavpils Secondary School of Technology – Lyceum, introducing the participants to an innovative idea for the development of a mobile application “KABAT MEntors”, which would provide assistance in the field of professional self-determination, offering to solve difficulties in choosing a specialty, university or job industry.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
We wish you an exciting experience exchange trip to Norway filled with new ideas!
We will continue to follow their stories.
“The main thing is the enthusiasm and readiness of the authors of these business ideas to take on new challenges, because the prize won in the competition – the opportunity for seven best business idea authors to go on an exchange trip to Norway – can provide a great impetus for further development and implementation of these business ideas.” concluded S. Maksimovs.”
The event is part of activities implemented by the project “Entrepreneurship Support Measures in Latgale Planning Region” (No. LV-LOCALDEV-0001) within the EEA Grants Programme “Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Cultural Cooperation”. Total project costs: 1,405,964 EUR, of which Grants funding is 1,195,069 EUR.
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