For the first time, a cargo of natural gas ordered by a Ukrainian company has reached the Klaipėda LNG terminal
On Monday, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from the United Stats of America ordered by D.TRADING International SA, a subsidiary of DTEK Group, the largest private Ukrainian energy company, reached the Klaipėda LNG terminal operated by the international terminal operator KN Energies. Approximately 160 thousand cubic metres of U.S. LNG will be transferred into the tanks of the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Independence from the LNG carrier GasLog Houston that arrived in Klaipėda port. A share of the LNG cargo delivered to Klaipėda will, after regasification, reach Ukraine via pipelines and international interconnector links.
“After the brutal russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Lithuania was quick to act – a cargo of LNG is already on its way to Ukraine. The Klaipėda LNG terminal is one of the busiest and most utilized in Europe, yet it also provides an opportunity to assist Ukraine – through it, we can help ensure gas supply and energy security for our partners. This is a concrete example of our solidarity and transatlantic cooperation. Together, we are seeking ways to ensure a reliable gas supply to Ukraine during the upcoming winter by making full use of Lithuania’s existing infrastructure,” said Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Lithuania Olha Nikitchenko noted: “Ukraine is entering another winter under relentless Russian attacks on our critical energy infrastructure. Day after day, Russia strikes purely civilian facilities that provide Ukrainians with heat, light, and the essential services people need simply to live. In such conditions, every reliable route for energy supply becomes a matter of national resilience. Access to the Klaipėda LNG terminal gives Ukraine something extremely important: confidence that even when our facilities are hit, we still have alternative ways to keep our system running. We are deeply grateful to Lithuania, one of the leaders in supporting Ukraine’s energy sector, for taking yet another meaningful step. It strengthens Ukraine, it strengthens our region, and it shows that in the face of terror, transatlantic unity sends a clear message: Russia may try to turn winter into a weapon, but together we will not allow it”.
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Originally published on 18 Nov
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On 6 November, more than 80 participants gathered at Tehnopol for a sold-out event hosted by the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator. The aim was to help defence and dual-use startups gain a clearer understanding of current needs in Latvia and see where their work could meaningfully contribute within the regional landscape.
The keynote was given by Rihards Miķelsons, Head of Industry Development at the Autonomous Systems Competence Centre of Latvia. He introduced the Centre’s testing environments across land, sea and urban settings, and explained how operational experience and structured trials support companies moving toward real deployment. For founders, the key takeaway was that collaboration in Latvia is practical and within reach. There are defined paths to test systems, gather feedback and understand user needs in conditions that reflect real use rather than laboratory evaluation.
Regional cooperation was discussed with a view to the near future. Estonia has been part of the NATO DIANA accelerator network since the pilot year and will launch its third cohort in 2026. Latvia and Finland will open their DIANA accelerator programmes in 2026. Bringing teams together at this stage helps establish shared understanding early and supports the development of solutions that are relevant across borders. For the Estonian accelerator, strengthening these relationships is important for continuing to broaden the ecosystem and ensure that promising technologies are able to develop into practical, deployable capability.
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Originally published on 7 Nov
On November 6, the opening event of AI Salon Riga took place at the Tet headquarters – the first gathering in Latvia of the global artificial intelligence community AI Salon.
The Latvian Association of Artificial Intelligence (MILA) was honored to participate in the event, where Chair of the Board Oksana Sivokobiļska shared her vision for the development of Latvia’s AI ecosystem and the need to strengthen cooperation between the public sector, academia, and industry.
The goal of AI Salon is to bring together people who work with artificial intelligence daily – developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and product specialists – to exchange experiences, build new connections, and collectively strengthen AI literacy in Latvia.
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Originally published on 11 Nov
The XVIII UBC General Conference concluded in Słupsk and Dolina Charlotty after four days of lively discussions, practical workshops, and strategic debates on the role of cities in the future of the European Union. The event, which brought together 200 people from partner organizations, EU institutions, and UBC member towns, reaffirmed the network’s primary goal of creating a more resilient, innovative, and united Baltic region.
The tone was set by two high-level plenary sessions. The Opening Plenary included European and local leaders, such as Magdalena Adamowicz (Member of the European Parliament), Krystyna Danilecka-Wojewódzka (Mayor of Słupsk), Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (Mayor of Gdańsk, Member of CoR), Mantas Jurgutis (UBC President), Dr Gustav Lindström (Director General, CBSS), Henryka Mościcka-Dendys (Undersecretary of State, Polish MFA), Marcin Skwierawski (Deputy Marshal, Pomorskie Voivodeship), and video addresses from Themis Christophidou (DG Regio) and André Sobczak (Eurocities). One thread ran through all of their messages: cities need to be acknowledged as important collaborators in determining the future of Europe.
The second plenary explored cities’ access to EU funds within the MFF 2028–2035, featuring contributions from Kieran McCarthy (CoR), Claire Roumet (Energy Cities), Laura Omucińska (Słupsk), Linda Ozola (Riga), and Henrik Johansson (Växjö). The discussion highlighted both opportunities and challenges for cities in navigating EU programmes.
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Originally published on 7 Nov
The Latvian Association of Artificial Intelligence (MILA) has developed the first practical guidelines for state and municipal institutions on the implementation and use of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in public administration. The guidelines will help institutions better understand the potential of AI and more clearly understand how to organise the process of introducing and applying AI solutions.
The document was created within the project “Development of Practical Guidelines for the Introduction of Artificial Intelligence in Institutional Work and Services,” in cooperation with AI Master Lab experts, commissioned by the State Administration School (VAS) and with methodological support from the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development Republic of Latvia (VARAM).
As MILA emphasises, the purpose of the guidelines is to provide a practical and easy-to-use framework for public institutions, enabling them to assess the suitability of AI use, prepare their organisations for the introduction of such technologies, and ensure a responsible, transparent and publicly accountable approach to the use of AI.
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Originally published on 10 Nov
New Impact Study: Maritime Travelers Bring Nearly One Billion Euros to the Helsinki Region’s Economy
A new study by the University of Helsinki shows that the Port of Helsinki is a major driver of both the economy and employment. The total annual economic impact of port operations amounts to €4.2 billion, generating over 39,000 jobs.
The Port of Helsinki serves as a key hub for both Finland’s international trade and passenger traffic. In 2024, 14 million tons of goods passed through the port – around 16 percent of Finland’s total foreign trade. Passenger volumes reached 9.5 million, accounting for 70 percent of all international passenger traffic through Finnish ports.
“The Port of Helsinki is not only a vital logistics hub serving the entire country and is also a significant contributor to the economy and job creation. Its influence can be seen widely across business performance and the city’s tax revenues,” says Ville Haapasaari, CEO of the Port of Helsinki.
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Originally published on 6 Nov
Kilo Health, a healthtech creator and investor, is expanding beyond health as it transforms into Kilo – marking a new ambition to accelerate startup growth through increased investment and its internal business development ecosystem, Kiloverse.
Žygimantas Surintas, who joined the company a year and a half ago, remains the head of the Kilo group of companies. According to him, Kilo and Kiloverse will separate investment activities from day-to-day operations – a natural step that reflects the company’s growing maturity and long-term strategy for sustainable growth.
“Over the past twelve years, we have created numerous health and wellness solutions – from digital apps to physical products that help millions of consumers around the world live healthier, better quality lives. We are also developing products in other areas including beauty and personal development. Now our goal is not only to create ourselves, but also to invest more actively in startups, helping them to develop global businesses better and faster,” says the CEO of Kilo.
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Originally published on 10 Nov
In the framework of a continuous dialogue with the Italian Ambassador to Poland and his staff, on November 4, 2025, Finnlines Line Manager and Managing Director, Rederi AB Nordö-Link, Antonio Raimo discussed in Warsaw the shipping company’s expanding operations and investments in Poland. Finnlines has operated routes between Poland and Finland for three decades and, last year, launched a new connection for freight and passengers to Sweden.
“Our new investments have enabled us to expand our presence in Poland with additional offices and larger local teams. We are also pleased to further strengthen and broaden our connections across the region. We also had the opportunity to discuss the current and upcoming challenges of the shipping industry, both in Poland and across the Baltic Sea, to ensure the continued development and success of Poland’s maritime network and the security of supply,” says Antonio Raimo, Finnlines Line Manager.
Strong growth on Poland–Sweden route
This summer, passenger numbers on Finnlines’ route between Świnoujście and Malmö rose by 38% compared to the same period last year, highlighting the growing interest in travelling across the sea between the two countries.
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Originally published on 5 Nov
From 27 October to 7 November, NATO’s Largest Digital Backbone Experiment “DiBaX 2025” was taking place at military base “Ādaži” and virtually across several NATO nations. This year, “DiBaX” strategically focused on the use of unmanned vehicles in contested environments and the application of artificial intelligence in detection and decision-making tasks.
‘”DiBaX” is the only military technology experiment of this scale that NATO has been conducting in Latvia for already four years. This demonstrates the advancement of our defence industry in the field of 5G technologies, the National Armed Forces’ contribution to innovation development and Latvia’s defence infrastructure capacity to host such high level experiments,” underlines Andris Spruds, Minister of Defence of Latvia.
The digital backbone is a vital component of NATO’s infrastructure, enabling connectivity for complex Multi-Domain Operations. During the DiBaX, the latest technological advancements was demonstrated and assessed for integration into real-world environments to enhance interoperability and efficiency among Allied Forces.
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Originally published on 7 Nov
Aampere, an E-mobility startup, has closed a €1.6 million funding round led by Trind Ventures, with participation from Gimic Ventures and several experienced business angels from the mobility sector. Aampere will use the funding to accelerate product development and expand its European market presence beyond Scandinavia and the Benelux region.
The European market for used electric vehicles remains highly fragmented and largely analog, characterized by opaque processes, manual handling, and isolated national solutions. Aampere is breaking these outdated structures by creating a fully digital, Europe-wide platform for selling used electric vehicles. With this, the startup is establishing a sustainable and efficient circular economy for e-mobility and driving Europe’s electrification forward.
Aampere provides a digital platform where private and commercial sellers can sell their used electric vehicles across Europe within 48 hours.
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Originally published on 5 Nov
The first Lithuanian laser in space, contributions to Mars atmosphere missions, and joint projects with the European Space Agency (ESA) in quantum technologies – these are among the achievements of Integrated Optics, a Lithuanian laser company. Its compact lasers have opened doors to space, supported by the Innovation Agency.
Compactness and proven reliability led a University of Vienna mission to choose an Integrated Optics laser.
“When we talk about space technologies, every extra gram of a device significantly increases costs, so extremely efficient and compact solutions are required. The same applies in the field of quantum computing – one of the barriers there is the size of optical instruments. Our laser, which is the smallest on the market, is perfectly suited for quantum computation experiments in space. In the future, if everything goes according to plan, another of our lasers will head to Mars to study its atmosphere using a special LiDAR instrument,” says Evaldas Pabrėža, CEO of Integrated Optics.
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Originally published on 6 Nov