Students and staff

The Origins of UL Think tank LV PEAK

The Productivity Research Institute "University of Latvia Think tank LV PEAK" (UL Think tank LV PEAK) was founded on 25 November 2019.

The origins of the Institute are the Latvian Forum for Productivity, Efficiency, Development, and Competitiveness (Forum LV PEAK), established on May 10, 2018, by the University of Latvia following the initiative of the group of distinguished Latvian researchers. This initiative was based on the Council of the European Union recommendation issued in September 2016 on the establishment of National Productivity Boards.

The Forum LV PEAK worked as a "think tank" in order to conduct independent analysis on productivity issues and to formulate policy recommendations for policy-makers.

On August 30, 2018, the Ministry of Economics, the University of Latvia, and the Forum LV PEAK signed a Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Analysis of Productivity and Competitiveness (Declaration), in order to promote the link between the academic and scientific environment and the Ministry of Economics, as well as to ensure that the measures and reforms prepared by the Ministry shall be comprehensively discussed and based on balanced independent analysis. The declaration states that the signatory institutions undertake to cooperate in the area of analysis of productivity and competitiveness. The Forum LV PEAK undertakes to ensure: to the extent possible, studies on the topics of interest for the Ministry related to productivity and competitiveness in the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral theses, as well as publications of the academic staff; to organize a conference on productivity issues once a year; to prepare a productivity report and recommendations for policy-making across the national economy and sectors. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economics undertakes to submit to the Forum LV PEAK a list of recommended topics for the preparation of scientific works and publications, as well as, as far as possible, to review these works and to encourage the funding of research work. The Ministry also undertakes to invite the representatives of the Forum LV PEAK and the University of Latvia to participate in working groups and seminars related to the preparation of a policy promoting productivity and competitiveness.

In accordance with the co-operation agreement with the Ministry of Economics in November 2018, the Forum LV PEAK organised the international Workshop “Productivity and Competitiveness in the Baltic and Nordic countries” with the aim to enhance discussions on productivity and competitiveness issues in Latvia, as well as to promote international co-operation with the Baltic and Nordic countries. High-level representatives of ministries, experts from business organizations, economists, scientists and representatives from the Nordic countries, Lithuania and New Zealand participated in the seminar. The main issues discussed were productivity dynamics and policies that support it, the role of productivity boards and international cooperation.

On February 2019 within the framework of the 77th International Scientific Conference of the University of Latvia, the Forum LV PEAK organised the Section "Increasing Productivity: Opportunities and Practical Solutions" in order to continue the discussion on aspects to increase productivity and competitiveness and appropriate policy measures in Latvia. Not only scientists but also politicians, NGO representatives, and entrepreneurs participate in the work of the section. The work of the section led to the following conclusions:

  1. The Forum LV PEAK makes a real contribution to solving the problems of productivity increase that is important for Latvia by gathering scientifically substantiated proposals and suggestions;
  2. The section was organised in the format of the National Productivity Dialogue within the framework of the signed Declaration under the full leadership of the Forum LV PEAK. It allowed to focus the discussion on specific productivity-related issues, and topical national problems of productivity and competitiveness were defined and analysed in-depth;
  3. The staff and doctoral students of the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics of the University of Latvia were successfully involved in productivity research.
  4. It was recommended to publish presented research findings and contributions of invited authors in a monograph. As a result, in May 2019 a reviewed monograph entitled “Raising Productivity: Trends and Future Challenges” was published.

In September 2019, the Forum LV PEAK has submitted to the Latvian government the first productivity report and productivity-related policy recommendations.

On October 29, 2019, based on the recommendation of the Council of the European Union and taking into account that the Forum LV PEAK already plays the role and fulfils major tasks of National Productivity Board – provides high quality independent analysis of productivity-related issues, makes their results available in the public domain, makes a valuable contribution to policy debates in the country and encourages reforms aimed at achieving productivity-enhancing reforms - the Cabinet of the Ministers of the Republic of Latvia nominates “The University of Latvia think tank LV PEAK” as a National Productivity Board of Latvia.