“Fazer Latvija”: 18 million investment, the most modern bakery in the Baltics, and ambitions for further growth

Fazer Latvija is part of the international “Fazer” Group, founded in 1891 in Finland. The concern specializes in the production of bread, sweets, and other cereal and plant-based products. Over the years, Fazer has expanded its operations to eight countries, including Latvia, and now exports its products to roughly 40 world markets. Fazer Latvija is one of the largest bakeries in the country: the Ogre factory supplies bread and other products not only to Latvia, but also to Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland. The group’s trust in Latvia is also evident in its large-scale investments: last year they reached 18 million euros, and additional improvements of more than one million euros are planned for next year.

The past year marked a turning point for the Fazer structural unit in Latvia. The company made a strategic decision to merge its Baltic bread factories and concentrate production in one location – the Ogre region. Until now, production had taken place both in Latvia and Kaunas, but a detailed analysis showed that modernizing and consolidating production in Latvia would deliver greater long-term benefits.

With the implementation of this plan, total investments in Latvia reached 18 million euros. These funds were used to modernize and expand the production building, install three new production and assembly lines, and build a new warehouse. Although the modernization and automation of the factory on a Baltic scale generally meant a decrease in the number of employees, Latvia was an exception – around 60 new jobs were created at the Ogre factory during the project. As a result, the total number of employees at “Fazer” bread and confectionery factories in Latvia now exceeds 300.

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Originally published on 8 Dec

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Nordic Cooperation for a Just Transition to Hydrogen

By BotH2nia 17 February 2025

Finland, Sweden, and Norway face similar challenges regarding land use conflicts and the social acceptability of large-scale hydrogen projects, as well as the new energy production and electricity distribution needs associated with them. These shared challenges are valuable to address and discuss collectively.

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Originally published on 16 Feb

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Estonia is to host a defence industry themed event Estonian Defence Week

By Tehnopol 17 February 2025

Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EKTL) in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, is organizing the first-ever Estonian Defence Week in September, bringing together domestic and international defence industry companies, investors, specialists, and policymakers. The week begins with an event organized by the NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator.

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Originally published on 17 Feb

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Land surveying, safety monitoring and 5G network – exploring the potential of drone operations

By Vidzeme Planning Region 15 February 2025

On the 12th of February, Vidzeme Planning Region organized a seminar “Drone Data Collection and Processing – use cases in Latvia” in Valmiermuiža as part of the “Smart Skies” project, bringing together 50 participants from Latvia and Estonia. The seminar program was designed to introduce the current examples of drone use in Latvian municipalities, as well as share the experience of leading companies in Latvia. Large enterprises, such as LMT and Latvian State Forests have already taken great strides in the application and development of unmanned aviation solutions.

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Originally published on 14 Feb

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RB Rail submits new funding application under the CEF-Digital program

By Rail Baltica 15 February 2025

RB Rail AS, representing the three Baltic states’ ministries responsible for the Rail Baltica project, submitted a funding application on 13 February 2025 under the CEF-Digital program “5G Large-Scale Pilots – 5G Coverage Along Transport Corridors”. The application seeks financial support to design and build railway radio communication infrastructure that complies with the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) and provides the opportunity to enable 5G connectivity within the European Transport Network (TEN-T).

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Originally published on 14 Feb

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Prototron spring round open for applicants – €75,000 to be distributed

By Tehnopol 14 February 2025

Prototron Fund, Estonia’s first fund dedicated to financing prototype development, has launched a new competition aimed at finding companies eager to transform their ideas into practical solutions. A total of €75,000 will be distributed among the best applicants, with applications open until 28 February.

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Originally published on 12 Feb

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City of Oulu and Verso Energy signed a cooperation agreement

By BotH2nia 14 February 2025

The City of Oulu and Verso Energy of France have signed a joint venture agreement to build a hydrogen refinery in Oulu that will produce 80,000 tonnes of synthetic aviation fuel (eSAF) per year. According to Verso Energy, the plant is estimated to cost €1.4 billion and would employ 250 people.

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Originally published on 14 Feb

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P2X Solutions launches commercial operation of green hydrogen

By P2X Solutions 13 February 2025

P2X Solutions, a Finnish pioneer in green hydrogen, has been the first in Finland to launch commercial operations of green hydrogen at its production plant in Harjavalta. The start of production at the Harjavalta plant is a significant milestone for the Finnish hydrogen economy.

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Originally published on 12 Feb

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She’s Next grant awarded to Nordspring and Plūkt

By Labs of Latvia 13 February 2025

In the She’s Next 2024 grant programme by Visa, two Latvian companies—family-owned soil mix business Nordspring and Nordic herbal tea brand Plūkt—have been announced as winners. Each company will receive €10,000 and a one-year personal business training opportunity.

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Originally published on 13 Feb

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Latvian AM Craft 3D prints over 1,000 arm caps for LOT

By Labs of Latvia 12 February 2025

LOT Polish Airlines has adopted 3D-printed arm caps for the economy class seats in its Boeing 737 fleet, marking another milestone in the use of additive manufacturing (AM) for aircraft interior components. The arm caps, designed and produced by AM Craft, address durability issues and supply chain challenges that led to frequent part shortages and failures with traditionally manufactured components.

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Originally published on 12 Feb

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Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor secures €6.8M in funding

By Invest in Estonia 12 February 2025

The European Commission has announced that it will allocate a €6.8 million grant to the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor (NBHC) to support its feasibility study phase. This decision will significantly enhance establishing the hydrogen infrastructure that will connect Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany, forming a vital backbone for Europe’s green energy future. The competition for infrastructure funding in the EU is fierce, so this decision is a great testament to the quality and necessity of the NBHC project and showcase its potential to contribute to the EU’s energy self-sufficiency targets and support the clean energy transition.

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Originally published on 11 Feb

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