Cooperation between Latvian pharmaceutical company SIA “PharmIdea” and Irish technology company Nuwa, supported by a project involving the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has developed into a concrete technology pilot in which artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies are being applied to sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing in Latvia.

The cooperation between the two companies is a good example of how building international contacts and targeted matchmaking between businesses can develop into a concrete business project. Nuwa specialises in mixed reality technologies for regulated and critical industries, while SIA “PharmIdea” manufactures sterile pharmaceutical products and advanced therapy medicinal products. By combining the expertise of both companies, an opportunity has been created to test how modern technologies can help improve work processes in one of the most demanding manufacturing environments. The total procurement value for the implementation of innovations by SIA “PharmIdea” and Nuwa over a 12-month period is EUR 233,900.

“This is exactly the kind of cooperation in which LCCI acts as a practical partner for businesses – helping to identify the right contacts, connecting companies with complementary expertise, and supporting them in developing concrete projects. In this case, the Latvian and Irish companies have identified a very specific area of common interest, and today we can already see the results of this cooperation,” says Katrīna Zariņa, Chair of the Board of LCCI.

As part of the pilot, employees of SIA “PharmIdea” will use mixed reality glasses manufactured in the European Union (EU) with a transparent optical display. The glasses will provide operators with step-by-step access to electronic batch manufacturing records, procedures, diagrams and other necessary instructions, making information available directly at the workplace while keeping both hands free for work. This approach is expected to reduce by more than 50% the time required to prepare new employees for independent work in a regulated manufacturing environment. It may also significantly reduce the risk of production deviations caused by human error and the associated costs, which in pharmaceutical manufacturing can amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros for a single deviation or a lost production batch.

This cooperation benefits not only the two companies involved, but also Latvia’s pharmaceutical industry. SIA “PharmIdea” gains the opportunity to test a new technology in its manufacturing environment and cooperate with an Irish company specialising in mixed reality solutions for regulated industries. The practical application of the technology may improve manufacturing productivity, accelerate employee training and reduce losses associated with production errors. At the same time, Nuwa gains the opportunity to test its technology in a real sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. Such cross-border cooperation allows both companies to assess the technology’s practical application, exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for further development.

Facilitating connections between companies is one of the ways LCCI can help Latvian businesses establish relationships with international partners and gain access to new technologies. In this case, an initial contact has developed into a concrete joint project involving the knowledge and expertise of both countries.

On 14 September, Marcella Smyth, Ambassador of Ireland to Latvia, visited the SIA “PharmIdea” manufacturing facility in Olaine and said: “This Irish-Latvian partnership is an excellent example of how European-level cooperation can drive innovation and productivity, creating transformative technologies that can have a significant impact on the competitiveness of the EU. This is one of the key priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU.” During the visit, the manufacturing facility was toured and the technology was demonstrated.

The cooperation is being implemented under the EU-funded XR2Industry programme, which aims to promote the use of mixed reality technologies in industry.