On 7 September 2026, the second “Latvian Dual-Use Export Forum” will take place at the “GORS” concert hall in Rezekne. The forum is organized by the Latvian Exporters Association “The Red Jackets” in cooperation with the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), the Ministry of Economics, and the Ministry of Defence. More than 170 industry participants from Europe, the United States, and the Baltic states are expected to gather in Latgale.
Dual-use companies operate simultaneously in two stable markets – the civilian and defence sectors. This dual approach enables companies not only to expand their operations and strengthen competitiveness, but also to adopt the high standards of quality and innovation set by the defence industry. Latvian companies are already internationally recognized for achievements in the development of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and micromobility solutions.
“Dual-use technologies are currently one of the fastest-growing segments of Latvian exports and one of the areas where our companies can provide high added value to both civilian and defence markets. Such a platform is important because it brings together Latvian entrepreneurs with international partners, investors, and supply chain integrators in one place, enabling purposeful partnerships that would otherwise require years of work to establish. The role of the state is to create conditions in which Latvian companies can compete in the global market, and the Dual-Use Export Forum is precisely the kind of instrument that promotes this goal in a practical and measurable way,” says Viktors Valainis, Minister of Economics of the Republic of Latvia.
“Latvia has every opportunity to become an important player in the field of dual-use technologies and security innovation. Our companies are already demonstrating competitiveness at an international level — from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to advanced mobility and manufacturing solutions. This forum is an essential platform that helps Latvian companies establish direct contacts with global partners, integrate into international supply chains, and strengthen export capacity. It is especially significant that the forum takes place in Rezekne and Latgale — a region where issues of security, innovation, and economic development are becoming increasingly strategic not only for Latvia, but for Europe as a whole,” emphasizes Ieva Jāgere, Director of LIAA.
This year, Rezekne has been chosen as the forum venue. The regional centre of Latgale is a strategically important point in the security architecture of Latvia and NATO’s eastern border, and it is here that dual-use technologies, security solutions, and export topics gain particular significance.
“Hosting the forum in Rezekne is a strategic choice. Latgale is the eastern border of Latvia and the entire European Union, and it is precisely here that issues of security, defence, and dual-use technologies are not abstract concepts, but part of everyday reality. Rezekne is a strong regional centre with significant technological, manufacturing, and logistics potential, making it the right place to bring together Latvian entrepreneurs, international partners, investors, and supply chain integrators. The first forum demonstrated that Latvian companies have much to offer the international market. This year we are taking the next step by expanding the range of participants, increasing the number of business meetings, and attracting even broader international company representation. Latvia has all the prerequisites to become one of the regional leaders in security and innovation exports,” says Līva Stūrmane, Chairperson of the Board of the Latvian Exporters Association “The Red Jackets”.
The 2026 forum is expected to welcome more than 170 participants, including representatives of 50 foreign companies and 120 Latvian businesses, as well as more than 180 structured B2B meetings. Each participating company will have at least seven individual meetings with potential cooperation partners, including NATO and EU integrators, suppliers, investors, and exporters. The aim of the forum is to establish real partnerships and promote the integration of Latvian companies into international supply chains, while the EXPO zone will provide an opportunity to present technologies and solutions directly to international partners.
A Broader Event Series to Promote Dual-Use Opportunities
To raise awareness of dual-use opportunities among Latvian businesses, three complementary events are planned for 2026, covering theoretical knowledge acquisition, practical demonstrations, and direct networking with international partners.
The event cycle will begin in June 2026 in Riga with a practical seminar for exporters on opportunities to enter the dual-use sector. The lecture will be delivered by internationally recognized expert Thibault Normand from France, who has more than ten years of experience in strategic consulting within the aerospace, energy, and defence industries. On 6 September, technology demonstrations will take place in Rezekne, where 30 to 50 companies from Latvia and abroad will present their solutions in the EXPO zone. The forum’s culmination will take place on 7 September with a structured matchmaking programme, presentations of Latvian technologies, individual B2B meetings, and the EXPO zone aimed at laying the foundations for real cooperation agreements and partnerships.
About the Latvian Dual-Use Export Forum
The first forum, held in Liepāja in 2025, attracted more than 140 company representatives from Europe, the United States, and the Baltic states, facilitating more than 125 meetings between Latvian and international businesses. A video overview of last year’s forum is available here. Industry leaders such as Diehl Defence (Germany), EuroSpike (Germany), GDELS (Switzerland), Cyber Eagle (USA), and Promoteq (Sweden) participated in the event. Building on the success of the first forum, the 2026 edition is being expanded both in terms of participant numbers and the scale of B2B meetings, with even broader international representation expected.
Registration for the forum is open! Please, register here.
Source: theredjackets.lv
