Can we be innovators in the Green Deal? In the view of Kristaps Klauss, Executive Director of the Latvian Forest Industry Federation, if we objectively assess the strengths and groundwork of the Latvian economy, we are unlikely to be the ones developing new technologies. We lack the groundwork and the capital to conduct research and ensure the marketing of new products. However, there are areas where Latvia excels, as we can clearly see in sports. For example, when a new Olympic sport emerges, we are capable of winning medals in it. The same applies to industry, where other Western European countries have been working for years in certain fields and are a decade ahead of us, having already invested in research, development and marketing, but we can be among the first to start producing certain products on a mass scale. For instance, pellet production in Latvia is a vivid example. "We did not invent the technology, but once the market was developed and prepared, we reacted very quickly and started producing pellets. We must focus on such opportunities – to seize and manufacture those products that have, with high probability, proven that they will be needed in the market. Unfortunately, we do not have enough time, brainpower or financial resources to afford making endless mistakes until we finally hit the jackpot," says Klauss. He believes that this approach represents a major opportunity for Latvia within the framework of the Green Deal, as the Green Deal will change many existing processes, forcing the creation of something new. We could be among the first to be involved with the new solutions that have proven themselves.
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