ISSP UL’s Deputy Director for Innovation Andris Anspoks was a guest in a Latvian Radio Naba program “In the Name of Science” on February 11.
During the interview, A. Anspoks tells how his interest in physics began in childhood and how he come to be the leading researcher at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia. Researcher is keen on breaking stereotypes about scientists but reminds that a scientist is not just a profession, but also a calling. Still, a scientist is definitely a person who travels, sings, dances, rides a boat and participates in various interesting events. Andris himself loves hiking in the mountains, watching and reading mountain landscapes, including science fiction.
Currently Mr. Anspoks’ field of interest is X-ray absorption spectroscopy and structure of substances. During his career in the business of information technology, various associations and in public administration, Mr. Anspoks has accumulated extensive experience, which helped to create a platform for cooperation between science and industry within the Camart2 project. Materize has become a platform for cooperation with industry to promote cooperation between ISSP UL scientists and Latvian and foreign companies in the field of high technology in materials science. Materize aims to make scientific expertise, expertise and experience understandable, easily accessible and valuable to industry and businesses.
The cooperation platform has already borne fruit in form of successful cooperation with Latvian high-tech companies GroGlass, Lightguide, Ceram Optec, Baltic Scientific Instruments and others representing such fields as anti-reflective glasses, optical fibers, radiation detectors, scientific and vacuum coating equipment, liquid crystal and 3D screens, microelectronics, etc.
During the interview, Andris Anspoks tells about the Latvian origins of the Deep Science Hackathons and Student Hackathons, which are organized to attract young people to STEM industries and to show how interesting it is, what opportunities these industries open up, and how much can be achieved and accomplished in them.
Great opportunity to promote interest in STEM sciences is also the Solar Cup competition for school youth, which has been organized by ISSP UL since 2008. Its aim is to involve students in the invention and production of vehicle models, who have to cover the set distance in the shortest possible time, using only the currently available solar energy.
"We need to create an ecosystem conducive to innovation and cooperation that can address the various challenges that exist. In such an ecosystem, companies meet with each other, cooperate with research institutions, and public institutions and society are also involved in this process. Latvia has excellent science and excellent high-tech companies, all you have to do is learn to work together and be able to convey this message to society and especially to young people, ”says Andris Anspoks.
Whole interview with Andris Anspoks in Latvian available from https://naba.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/zinatnes-varda/inovacijas-augstas-tehnologijas-latvijas-uznemumos-un-dzila-zina.a140133/
