Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence Opens New State-of-the-Art Building at RTU
Riga Technical University (RTU) has officially opened the new headquarters of the Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence (BBCE), marking a major milestone for scientific infrastructure in Latvia and the wider European research community. As the headquarters of BBCE, this center serves as a hub where all four national partners come together to share knowledge, collaborate, and develop innovative ideas. The new facility not only strengthens the development of RTU’s Ķīpsala student campus but also provides a solid foundation for advancing biomaterials science, innovation, and personalized medicine in Europe.
The modern building houses the Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering at RTU’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technologies. Here, researchers develop innovative biomaterials—essentially “human spare parts”—for bone and soft tissue regeneration, facial, oral, and jaw surgery, orthopedics, and other medical applications. Until last year, the institute operated from facilities on Pulka Street, focusing on new materials and technologies for personalized medicine, such as customized drug delivery systems and implant materials. The relocation enables closer collaboration with other RTU faculties, fostering interdisciplinary research and new scientific directions.
The new facility is equipped with more than 20 advanced scientific instruments, many of which are unique not only in Latvia but also across Europe. Among the highlights are a 3D bioprinter for tissue printing, an X-ray microtomograph for non-destructive analysis of material structures, and a scanning electron microscope capable of examining coatings at the nanoscale. This cutting-edge equipment significantly expands research opportunities and strengthens Latvia’s position in global biomaterials research.
The inauguration ceremony gathered high-level officials and international guests, including Minister of Education and Science Anda Čakša, Parliamentary Secretaries from the Ministries of Health and Economics, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia Zane Petre, and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Latvia, Martin Michelet. Leaders of partner institutions—Riga Stradiņš University (RSU), the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (OSI), and the RSU Institute of Stomatology—emphasized the importance of joint efforts in achieving international recognition in biomaterials science.
RTU Rector Tālis Juhna and Faculty Dean Māris Turks also highlighted the contributions of pioneers Rudolfs Cimdins and Līga Bērziņa-Cimdiņa, who laid the foundation for biomaterials research in Latvia two decades ago. Today, their legacy continues through the BBCE project, led by a new generation of scientists.
International collaboration is central to BBCE’s success. The project is carried out with leading partners such as Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany and the AO Research Institute in Davos, Switzerland—one of the world’s top centers for biomaterials research. In recognition of their outstanding contributions, RTU awarded honorary doctorates to Prof. Mauro Alini of the AO Research Institute and Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini of Erlangen-Nuremberg University.
Funded with €30 million—half from the EU Horizon 2020 programme and half from the Latvian government, ERDF, and partner institutions—the BBCE is a large-scale project designed to build research capacity, foster collaboration between academia and industry, and drive innovation. It enables the full biomaterials development cycle: from laboratory discovery to clinical application and commercialization.
With the opening of its new building, BBCE is set to become a driving force for scientific excellence, innovation, and economic growth in Latvia and beyond.
