The CAMART² project aim has been to upgrade the existing Centre of Excellence at ISSP UL by building a long-term strategic partnership with the internationally leading R&D&I institutions KTH and RISE, which are highly successful in research commercialization. The project was aiming to improve the research and innovation environment at the Excellence Centre and its regional relevance, including creation of RIX-STO collaboration and technology transfer platform as basis for Latvia-Sweden research collaborations and model for good practice.
With its recognition as a highly competent partner for R&D&I actions relevant to EC-defined key enabling technologies (advanced materials, photonics, nanotechnology and micro- and nanoelectronics), the centre is aiming to reach competitive EU level and continue to develop and broaden after the end of the project period.
CAMART² project has been boosting the scientific and innovations excellence of ISSP through a range of new research and innovation projects and the attraction of top-level scientists and students. Technology exploitation, business generation and long-term sustainability is being promoted by the development of an innovation system, an institute reorganisation, an active human resource management and training, extended outreach and networking activities, refinement to the education system, and development of the ISSP as Open Access Laboratory.
The quality and intensity of the research, innovation, and education is improving substantially. Increased income resulting from research, innovation, and industrial projects have been gradually replacing CAMART² funding, thereby providing long-term financial sustainability of the upgraded Centre.
Realisation of the project is intended to have and is having a multilevel impact on
- Institutional level – ISSP research, innovation, and education,
- National level – impact on the Latvian economy, including the experience of CAMART² becoming a leading center for the development of the innovation in Latvia,
- Regional level– science-innovation collaboration among partners and beyond.
All the main activities and objectives have been reached, all of the planned infrastructure procured with complementary funding is in operation, revenues and numbers of projects have grown to their targets, quality and number of publications has increased, participation in HE funded projects has exceeded estimations, creation of spin-offs and IP licencing has been taking place, number of students and their proportion at upgraded education programs have grown significantly, attraction of international PhD students and researchers has increased.
This all contributes to making CoE a significant national centre of research excellence and strong player in the international research arena as originally intended.
