Life sciences in Riga
Pharmaceutical manufacturing is the fourth-largest sector by foreign investor count in Riga, anchored by companies operating here for decades rather than a cluster announced in a strategy document.
408
foreign investors in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Lursoft · 2025
€2,706
scientific research, gross monthly wage
CSB LV · Q3 2025
~11,000
international students in Riga
Ministry of Education and Science · 2025
Why this sector, here
Pharmaceutical manufacturing accounts for 408 of Riga's 14,015 foreign investors, 3% of the total - a larger share than consulting and business services. Grindeks, one of Latvia's most valuable private companies, and Kalceks both operate from the Granīta street industrial area, where Grindeks has announced a further 3-hectare development. Riga Stradiņš University, the country's medical university, sits within the Knowledge Mile - the joint campus development between Riga City Council, Riga Stradiņš University, the University of Latvia and Riga Technical University, planned at 4-5 km² for 30,000-40,000 students.
The numbers
| Activity | € per month, gross |
|---|---|
| Computer, electronic and optical equipment manufacturing | 2,737 |
| Scientific research | 2,706 |
| All activities, Riga | 2,028 |
CSB LV · Q3 2025
39.7% of Riga residents aged 15 and over hold higher education. Around 60,000 students study in Riga, 80% of Latvia's total, roughly 11,000 of them international - 15% of all students in Latvia and rising annually.
Who is already here
Grindeks · Kalceks · Olainfarm group companies operate in the wider Riga region
Ecosystem
DeepTech Atelier is described as the most significant conference for science-intensive companies in the Baltics, bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs and investors from across Europe. ALTUM-selected venture funds - Buildit, BADideas.fund and Outlast - hold €62 million for early-stage companies, open to life sciences among other fields.
What applies to you
Corporate income tax deferred until profit distribution · Special Economic Zone treatment for qualifying production locations, 80% rebate on corporate and real estate tax · Green Corridor fast-tracking · Relocation co-financing for highly qualified specialists
What we don't publish - and this is the thinnest of our seven sectors
Sector employment for Riga. R&D expenditure at city level. Clinical trial infrastructure and capacity. Life sciences graduate output. Available laboratory and GMP-certified space. Riga's life sciences claim currently rests on named companies and investor counts rather than on measured sector data. That is enough to establish the sector exists and is invested in. It is not enough to size a hiring plan, and we would be misleading you if we implied otherwise.
NOT PUBLISHED
Next step
Tell us the function, the target headcount and the timeline. We reply within one business day and send the relevant cost and talent data within three working days. No charge at any stage.
Placeholder contact for demonstration purposes.
Sources
Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia · Lursoft · Ministry of Education and Science · Riga Economic Profile 2026
Last checked: 17 August 2026