Today, 5 September, the Interdisciplinary Scientific Laboratory of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) Faculty of Forest Sciences (MF) will be opened at Dobeles iela 41 in Jelgava; it is the only building and research institution of its kind in Latvia.

The event will be attended by: Minister for Agriculture Kaspars Gerhards, LBTU Rector Irina Pilvere, Chair of the LBTU Council Laimdota Straujuma, Dean of the Faculty of Forest Sciences Linards Sisenis, Chairman of the Board of the general contractor ZAZA TIMBER Production SIA Māris Peilāns, Chairman of the Jelgava City Council Andris Rāviņš, Chairman of the Council of Latvijas Finieris AS Uldis Biķis, and other industry entrepreneurs and cooperation partners.

The new laboratory has been built next to the MF Department of Wood Processing, where the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Institute is also located, and it will serve as a knowledge transfer bridge between science, education and the industry; there is nothing like it in Latvia. The laboratory will not only be a place to conduct research, but also an educational centre for the public – a space where the forest and related sectors can foster dialogue with society. For students, it will provide an opportunity to use modern technologies and innovations in their learning process, while for teaching staff, it offers an environment that encourages the development of new ideas and the enhancement of skills.

This autumn, more than 300 civil engineers and structural engineers will begin training at the laboratory, where they will learn about the use of timber in building structures, commissioned by the Ministry of Economics.