On 21 October 2026, Minister for Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže addressed the participants of the international technology forum Techritory 2026. In her speech, the Minister emphasised that Europe’s security and technological capabilities are closely linked and also essential for global competitiveness. Europe must be able not only to regulate new technologies, but also to develop, finance, implement and protect them. The growth of Latvian companies demonstrates not only their ability to utilise the latest technologies but also to develop new solutions that are in demand across Europe.
“Europe’s technological influence is not determined by the number of regulations. It is determined by the ability to create technologies ourselves, and to provide them with the necessary energy, capital, computing power and talent. We must not only be users of technology but also its creators,” Baiba Braže stressed.
The Minister pointed out that Latvia’s investments in defence simultaneously promote innovation, exports and economic growth. In Latvia, more than 240 companies develop military and dual-use goods, including drones, autonomous systems and information and communication technology solutions. In the first 8 months of this year, export licences for strategic goods worth more than EUR 1.5 billion were issued.
Latvia’s drone sector is developing rapidly – the number of drone and drone-component manufacturers has quadrupled over the past three years. The Ādaži and Sēlija military training grounds, together with the Autonomous Systems Competence Center, provide an environment for developing, testing and implementing unmanned technologies.
Baiba Braže also highlighted Latvia’s achievements in the field of digital technologies.
Latvia is the first Baltic state to have established a national quantum-secure communications network. An open-source artificial intelligence solution has been developed in Latvia that operates in almost all European languages, and Latvia is participating in the EuroHPC initiative, including the development of AI gigafactories.
The Minister emphasised that Latvia supports a pragmatic approach: developing Europe’s capabilities in strategically important areas, reducing dependence on other countries and maintaining close cooperation with trusted partners.
The European Union must strengthen its capabilities in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cyber security, cloud computing and digital infrastructure. This requires a deeper single market, a reduced administrative burden, better access to capital and faster market uptake of innovations. It is essential for Latvia that these opportunities are also available to smaller Member States.
Baiba Braže stressed that Europe’s technological capabilities must be developed in close cooperation with the US. Strengthening Europe’s capabilities must complement, not replace, the transatlantic partnership. At the same time, humans must retain control over the development of artificial intelligence, while security checks and independent assessment must become an integral part of the development of new technologies.
