The biggest innovation event of this summer – in a week in Riga

In a week's time, from August 30 to September 1, the biggest innovation event of this summer – Innovation and Technology Festival iNOVUSS – will take place in Lucavsala, Riga. The festival will host more than 50 events on seven thematic stages, with experts from 17 countries sharing their insights on the latest trends.

As the festival format suggests, there is also an exciting entertainment program featuring eight concerts, unusual musical performances such as techno opera, drum circles and pianist duel, as well as a stand-up comedian show, a selection of films and a variety of fun activities for families with children. Entrance to the festival – free of charge.

New knowledge, networking and business opportunities

The festival program will provide wide diversity of activity formats – discussions, lectures, presentation sessions, workshops and networking events led by world-class experts. The main stage – Magnetic Latvia – will bring together the most powerful international experts who will share their insights on trends that do change and will change the usual reality including artificial intelligence, future education and the role of humanity in the coming decades. You will also be able to follow the main stage events online at LMT Straume. The Money Quarter will invite young entrepreneurs to meet potential investors to come and expand their professional contacts, while the 23XX platform will be dedicated to women's creativity in business, technology and science.

The right place for an informal talk about science and commerce working together will be the Smart Cafe tent, while Business Incubators will talk about topics that are important to young entrepreneurs and offer a glimpse into the life of the 22nd century entrepreneur. The Business terrace will feature experience stories of both entering markets in the European Union and the opportunities and challenges of conquering markets beyond its borders. Meanwhile, Futurists tent will host discussions, presentation cycles, workshops and other activities on the subject - what is it like to be a traveler in the 21st century?

This year, iNOVUSS also launches a new topic, DNA sequencing, which, by exploring human genetic information, opens up unprecedented opportunities to improve health, create tailored products for each human genome, and trace its origins across generations.

Culture and entertainment programs

Along with a variety of business, education and innovation topics, festivalgoers will enjoy a sophisticated music program featuring artists such as Kārlis Kazāks, Goran Gora, Ozols, Edvārdi, Brothers Petrauskas, Sub Scriptum, Polifauna, Dziļi violets and Mazais Princis.

The festival will also add some surprising performances, such as techno opera, a performance and workshop by Andžeja Grauda Drum School and the silent disco DJ fight Silent Orbita + Silent Disco. Here, the smart minds of science field and the creatives of the arts will take up the role of a DJ to see if the musical taste of the scientists is bold enough. Meanwhile, in the piano duel, Men's and Women's Songs will make sure that academic music can be truly entertaining and its performance wiser than stand-up performances.

But which region of Latvia is the greatest? Five stand-up comedians from all regions of Latvia will try to find out at the Boast of the Regions event. As the name suggests, the comedians will each praise their own side of Latvia. Of course, jokes about the Latvian as such and their moving habits won’t be left out, and things will be called real names.

In the evenings, Uldis Cīrulis aka DJ Monsta, the most experienced Latvian DJ, electronics and vinyl sketching artist, and DJ Kaspars Zaviļeiskis, who prefers a good old-school funk, old-time rhythm & blues, will perform at the DJ desk.

For the new generation of innovators and all the curious minds

The three-day program is also designed for families with children - iNOVUSS will have the opportunity to ride a driverless car, work with robots in a special laboratory and experiment with the most unbelievable physics experiments, learn how to make video games your future profession and learn how to count money from an early age. The festival will also feature custom-made games of unusual size, a balance garden, art installations, audio poetry, yoga, quest cubes, virtual reality games, night hiking, of course, novuss and much more. But the youngest festival goers will be taken care of by the babysitters' corner.

More information about the festival is available at www.inovuss.lv and LIAA Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LIAALatvija.

The festival is organized by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund Operational Program “Growth and Employment”.