KURZEME BUSINESS FORUM 2025
AI – The 4th Industrial Revolution
28.05.2025.
Ventspils
Concert Hall "Latvija"
Jānis Vītoliņš
Ventspils City Council
Chairman
Viktors Valainis
Minister of Economics
Andris Vaivads
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
Rector
Jānis Paiders
Deputy State Secretary for Human Capital, Science and Innovation Development at Ministry of Education and Science
Gatis Ozols
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Deputy State Secretary for Digital Tranformation
Ēvalds Urtāns
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
Associate Professor
Gatis Romanovskis
LTD Hansab
Director
Arvils Kupris
Artificial Intelligence Association of Latvia
Chairman of the Board
Artūrs Vasiļevskis
LTD Tilde
Board Member
Artūrs Vasiļevskis
LTD Tilde
Board Member
Vairis Caune
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
Dean of the IT Faculty
Jānis Grabis
Institute of Information Technology at RTU
Director
Renārs Pūce
LTD VK Tranzīts
Chairman of the Board
Deniss Bičkovs
International Transport Development Association
Dmitrijs Jemeljanovs
Forward IT Consulting
CEO, Machine Learning Expert
Signe Bāliņa
President of the Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association
Agenda
WHAT EDUCATION REMAINS ESSENTIAL IN THE AGE OF AI?
Part 1
09:30 - 10:00
Registration and Coffee
10:00 - 10:10
Opening
Jānis Vītoliņš, Chairman of Ventspils City Council
10:25 - 10:40
Viktors Valainis, Minister of Economics
10:40 - 10:55
The Development of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences in the Age of AI
Andris Vaivads, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
10:55 - 11:10Can the Education System Adapt to New Demands? Which Professions Will Remain Relevant, and Which Will Change?Ēvalds Urtāns, Associate Professor at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
11:10 - 11:25
The synergy of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity studies
Jānis Grabis, Director of the Institute of Information Technology at RTU
11:25 - 11:40
TBD
Speaker: TBD
11:40 - 12:40
Discussion: What Education Remains Essential in the Age of AI?
Moderator:
Participants:
Vairis Caune, Dean of Ventspils the IT Faculty at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
Jānis Paiders, Deputy State Secretary for Human Capital, Science and Innovation Development, Ministry of Education and Science
Ēvalds Urtāns, Associate Professor at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
Signe Bāliņa, President of the Latvian Information and Communication Technology Association
12:40 - 13:45
Lunch Break
WHY IS AI IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Part 2
Part 2
13:45 - 13:55
Opening of the Second Part
13:55 - 14:10
The Legal Framework of Artificial Intelligence and Support for Innovation
Gatis Ozols, Deputy State Secretary for Digital Transformation, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
14:10 - 14:25
Scale of AI Impact
Arvils Kupris, Artificial Intelligence Association of Latvia, Chairman of the Board
14:25 - 14:40
AI-Powered Automation at Hansab
Gatis Romanovskis, CEO at Hansab
14:40 -14:55
AI in Business and Education: Opportunities for Growth
Artūrs Vasiļevskis, Tilde
14:55 - 15:10
AI in the Latvian Economy: From Myths to Real Value. Forward IT Experience Stories
Dmitrijs Jemeljanovs, Machine Learning Expert, Head of Forward IT Consulting
15:10 - 15:25
AI and Manufacturing Enterprises
Agnis Jakubovics, APPLY
15:25 - 15:40
Port Development with AI: Digital Transformation and CO₂ Emission Reduction
Deniss Bičkovs, International Transport Development Association
15:40 - 16:40
Discussion: Why Is AI Important for Your Business?
Moderator:
Participants:
Gatis Ozols, Deputy State Secretary for Digital Transformation, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Gatis Romanovskis, Director of Hansab
Renārs Pūce, Chairman of the Board of VK Tranzīts
Arvils Kupris, Chairman of the Board of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Latvia
Agnis Jakubovičs, Board Member of Apply
The forum language is Latvian. Translation in the forum will be provided by the SIA TILDE MI tool.
Registration
Conferences & Expert Discussions
Forum attendees can look forward to valuable discussions, industry expert presentations, business leader insights, and experience-sharing sessions.
Networking
An opportunity to meet entrepreneurs from Kurzeme, municipal representatives, business experts, representatives and students from Ventspils University, as well as professionals from various industries.
Relaxation & Entertainment
Technology and innovation experiences, creative exhibitions, informative and educational content. Surprises for Kurzeme Business Forum participants throughout the day.
Partners





