PROJECTS

reSilienT fARminG by Adaptive microclimaTe managEment (STARGATE)

STARGATE

Project aims to develop a breakthrough, multiscale and holistic climate smart agriculture methodology, capitalizing innovations in the field of microclimate and weather risk management, as well as in the field of landscape design. It is based on Earth Observation, weather/climate intel-ligence and IoT technologies to support a more effective farm/parcel management and related options for adaption on climatic changes, local and regional policy formulation leading to better landscape management, protection against climatic risks and implementation on microclimate changes.

Agriculture is perhaps the most weather/climate dependant sector of the economy, and changes in the weather/climate patterns are strongly affecting it, in terms of the productivity, risk assessment/management, and environmental preservation. From the other, the current farm practices are producing the 1/4th of the global greenhouse gas emissions annually, contributing and further enhancing the climate change, retaining a continuous cycle of altering the climate and impacting the food production system.

Objectives:

To develop a state of affairs and a detailed requirement analysis for Climate Smart Agriculture
To shape a stakeholder community and establish Living Labs
To develop observational data infrastructure and data management framework
To develop and promote climate services and agro-climatic indicators
To evaluate the STARGATE, methodology and decision support system in real condition pilots
To develop an outreach plan to maximize the society impact of STARGATE
To develop an exploitation plan to maximize the business potential of STARGATE

Project partners:

Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Greece
LESPROJEKT SLUZBY, Czech Republic
MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, Israel
Vyzkumny ustav melioraci a ochrany pudy, Czech Republic
AgriSat Iberia, Spain
NEUROPUBLIC, Greece
GAIA EPICHEIREIN, Greece
AgroApps, Greece
meteoblue, Switzerland
Pessl Instruments, Austria
Dioseco Unipessoal Lda - 2eco, Portugal
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Hihomoravsky kraj, Czech Republic
Vidzeme Planning Region, Latvia
Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center, Poland
Institute of Applied Informatics e.V., Germany
Upper Galilee Agriculture Company, Israel
Asplan Viak Internet, Norway
Farm Rostenice, Czech Republic
Adama CZ s.r.o, Czech Republic
CREVIS, Belgium
Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovacao, Portugal
KEFALAS, Greece
Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Belgium

Scientific manager: Dr.sc.ing. Ginta Majore (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Administrative manager: Dr.art. Ieva Gintere

Project team: Ivars Majors, Mairita Zaķe, Oskars Java, Andris Lapāns, Sarma Cakula, Ilze Dimante, Monika Sproģe, Andris Jenerts, Andris Fjodorovs

Project period: 01.10.2019 - 30.09.2023.

Project total budget: 6 994 405,00 EUR

Funding source: European Commission

Accomplished activities and planning: September, 2021

On our first meeting after summertime in September, the participants Ginta Majore, Monika Sproģe, Sarma Cakula, Andris Jenerts, Andris Lapāns, Mairita Zaķe, and Ieva Gintere shared experience and progress. So far, we have attended the Country days in Priekuļi in Ādaži and Varakļāni.

We have done control mines for this year potatoes harvest – the results and data set are promising. The team also works on profit, losses, price forecast – an economic report.

Our goals for the next period are:

- data post-processing and analysis are work for the winter.

- participation in a forum on industrial drones in Amsterdam.

- photographs obtained with an unmanned aircraft (BGK) must be linked to specific potato hops.

- in order to process data on the minimum and maximum daily temperatures in the database, it is desirable to automatize the process.

International Research Project Focused on Environmental Modeling

Apvārsnis 2020

Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID)

Summary: The primary objective of the Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID) project is to support the EU in its efforts to tackle disinformation in the three Baltic countries. This is an area of particular importance, due to its location on the edge of the EU and the presence of a large Russian-speaking minority population (approximately 17%). It is also a region that presents a diverse crosssection of post-soviet countries, an important factor to consider when developing responses to fake news and disinformation. We will create an EDMO hub in a key region, which brings together 9 beneficiaries and 1 associated partner from the 3 Baltic States,including 4 research organizations, 4 IFCN certified fact-checkers, a non-profit organization with 13 founding members cooperating on media literacy activities and a Latvian TV channel. We also have 14 external experts supporting us, covering the topics of migration and societal cohesion; environmental policies and climate change; European security policy; Russia’s regional foreign policy; public health etc. Building off numerous previous activities of BECID partners, we will perform continuous fact-checking (720-900 audio, audiovisual or written media texts all up for three Baltic states), create 10 analytical reports on Baltic disinformation trends and a common methodology for analysing them, research information disorders in Baltic social media spaces and the impact of interventions, create systematic reviews of tools and methods used to verify false information and carry out 5 media literacy campaigns. Particular attention will be paid to vulnerable groups such as Russian speakers, elderly and youth.

Implementation period: 01.12.2022. - 31.05.2025.

Project Nr. 101084073

Granting authority: European Health and Digital Executive Agency (Digital SME Support Actions)

HESPI role: Project partner

Cooperation partners: University of Tartu, Tallinn University, Vytautas Magnus University, The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME), DELFI UAB, AS Delfi (Latvia), AS EKSPRESS MEEDIA , Associated Partner: Sia Vidzemes Televizija

Project funding: 2 830 662,53 EUR

Project scientific manager (e-mail): Jānis Buholcs (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Involved staff: HESPI research staff Jānis Buholcs, Agnese Dāvidsone, Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, Iveta Auniņa, Katrīne Kūkoja

More information: https://becid.eu/

BECID

Erasmus+ programme KA1 “Higher education student and staff mobility between Programme and Partner Countries”

Goal of the project is to increase international mobility of students and staff as well as international cooperation with partner countries

Type: Erasmus+

Number: 2022-1-LV01-KA171-HED-000074282 (-LV)

Goal of the project: Increase international mobility of students and staff as well as international cooperation with partner countries

The target group: Students and staff at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and its partner institutions

The leading partner: Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences

All projects partners:

Albania (The University of Shkoder "Luigj Gurakuqi")

Egypt (Ains Shams University)
Egypt (Future University)
Armenia (Brusov State University)
Georgia (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University)
Georgia (The University of Georgia)

Ukraine (Mykolayiv National Agrarian University)
Ukraine (Chernihiv National University of Technology)
Ukraine (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy)
Ukraine (Kyiv National Economics university)
Moldova (State Agrarian University of Moldova)

India (University of Hyderabad)
India (National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management NITHM)
Chile (Universidad Andrés Bello)

Project implementation period: 01.08.2022. – 31.07.2024.

Main activities: Student and staff exchange

Study directions: Business administration, information technologies, communication and journalism, political sciences, tourism

Total budget:  EUR 273 635,00 (273 635,00 EU)

Project funding: EU funding

Erasmus+ Charter: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/erasmus-charter-for-higher-education

Information for partners: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/documents/erasmus-international-credit-mobility_en

The selection process of students takes place at SENDING university based on following criteria - academic performance and achievements, adequacy of exchange study content to the study programme, already used abroad study and internship opportunities (preference is given to students who have not participated in Erasmus+ exchange), study semester, motivation, english or particular national language skills, involvement in various professional activities and projects, other criteria of the partner university.

Student selection has to be documented (including criteria used), after the selection partner university provides an official protocol in order to participate in the particular Erasmus+ KA 171 project. After the selection, university nominates the selected student and only final chosen student has to apply at ViA university for studies (fill in the online application), not all potential candidates.

The selection process of staff takes place at the HOST university (Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences)

Contacts:
Project manager at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences: Tatjana Mažāne
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +371 22042022

Erasmus+ programme KA1 “Higher education student and staff mobility within programme countries”

Goal of the project is to increase international mobility of students and staff as well as international cooperation within programme countries

Type: Erasmus+

Full title of the project: Erasmus+ programme KA1 “Higher education student and staff mobility within programme countries”

Project number: 2022-1-LV01-KA131-HED-000054608 (-LV) 

Goal of the project: Increase international mobility of students and staff as well as international cooperation within programme countries

The target group: Students and staff at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and its partner institutions in programme countries

The leading partner: Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences

Project implementation period: 01.06.2022. – 31.07.2024.

Main activities: Student and staff exchange

Study directions: Business administration, information technologies, engineering, communication and journalism, tourism

Total budget:  EUR 292 267,00 (255 554,00 EU; 36713,00 Latvian national co-financing)

Project funding: EU funding, Latvian national co-financing

Erasmus Charter for Higher Education 2021 - 2027:  https://va.lv/sites/default/files/ECHE%202021-2027.pdf

The selection process of students takes place at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences based on following criteria - academic performance and achievements, adequacy of exchange study content to the study programme, already used abroad study and internship opportunities (preference is given to students who have not participated in Erasmus+ exchange), study semester, motivation, English or particular national language skills, involvement in various professional activities and projects.

The selection process of staff takes place at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences.

Project E.I.N.S: E3UDRES2 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network for Smart and Sustainable European Regions

In 2022, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) started to implement the project E.I.N.S: E3UDRES2 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network for Smart and Sustainable European Regions (No. 10043). The project is funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT, https://eit-hei.eu/) which is the largest and most influential innovation network in Europe. This is a new initiative that foresees a major role for higher education institutions to strengthen innovation in the regions.

The project aims to create a strong support mechanism for innovations in the regions, using European University E3UDRES2 (Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, https://www.eudres.eu/ and University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN, Netherlands, https://www.uiin.org/) professional, academic and scientific contacts.

Main project activities are related to:

1. Ent-r-e-novators (entrepreneurs, researchers, innovators, educators) strengthening, incl. Involvement and support of young talents, experts, management representatives, SMEs, start-ups, local governments, and entrepreneurial citizens;

2. Gathering available expertise, current good practices, strategies, and other sources of inspiration in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Hungary, Romania, and Latvia;

3. Training ViA staff, students, and ViA partners on entrepreneurship and innovation;

4. Cooperation with the innovation ecosystems of the above-mentioned E3UDRES2 partner country regions.

Project partners:

St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, STPUAS (Austria – lead partner)

University Industry Innovation Network, UIIN (Netherlands)

Polytechnic Institute of Setubal, IPS (Portugal)

Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, MATE (Hungary)

UC Leuven-Limburg University of Applied Sciences, UCLL (Belgium)

Politehnica University Timisoara, UPT (Romania)

Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, ViA (Latvia)

The ViA project team consists of:

· Representatives of ViA management to implement the results of the project into ViA's innovation strategy and work plans;

· Representatives of ViA faculties and research institutes to participate both in teaching and involvement of students;

· Representatives of non-academic staff who would use the insights of entrepreneurship and innovation in the management and support functions of future projects;

· Researchers and students interested in exploring the concept of open innovation and the region's innovation ecosystems.

Contacts:

Project manager: Iveta Putniņa, administrative vice-rector, and E3UDRES2 project manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project guest research assistant for communication with ViA staff: Tatjana Mazāne, international project manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project research assistant for communication on research resources: Oskars Java, scientific project manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project guest research assistant for communication about training: Inguna Kucina, head of the Knowledge and Technology Center of ViA, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project implementation period: 01.10.2021. – 30.11.2023.

Funded by: EIT HEI Initiative (European Institute of Innovation and Technology, Higher Education Initiative), Horizon Europe, Co-funded by the European Union