Researchers see Pārdaugava university hub as Latvia’s growth engine

A university hub in Riga’s Pārdaugava area, known as the Knowledge Mile, could help drive Latvia’s development, researchers from the think tank LaSER say. LSM reported that universities and Riga City Council support the idea, but its implementation has stalled.

Five universities, two clinical hospitals, the National Library and several leading Latvian companies are located relatively close to one another in Pārdaugava. The proposed hub could bring together nearly 30,000 students and 4,000 scientists and researchers, creating conditions favourable to start-ups, LaSER says.

The vision was presented at Riga City Council on Friday, October 9. LaSER board chair Aigars Rostovskis, who founded the Turība business school in Pārdaugava, said the goal was for Latvia to rank among Europe’s 10 most developed and prosperous countries by 2040. He described the Knowledge Mile as the only realistic opportunity currently available to fundamentally change the country’s development trajectory and results.

A memorandum on developing the Knowledge Mile was signed by universities and Riga City Council in 2024, but Rostovskis said progress had not been fast enough. He said the private sector should invest more actively, and LaSER has started work on a website for the project.

Riga is already the Baltic states’ largest city by student numbers, Rostovskis said, adding that the number could grow further.