What happens after the award ceremony? Since the “Riga Company of the Year 2025” awards were presented last November, the Mayor of Riga, Viesturs Kleinbergs, together with the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA), has visited all seven winners. These conversations with business leaders have turned into concrete next steps in talent attraction, healthcare innovation, construction processes and urban development.
The award is more than a single gala evening. It gives businesses the opportunity to tell the city directly what helps them grow and what holds them back – and gives the city the opportunity to respond.
From ceremony to action
On 20 February this year, RITA invited the award nominees to a breakfast meeting with the leadership of Riga City Council. The discussion was structured around four themes – talent and workforce, health and productivity, construction and urban development, and public and digital infrastructure – and the proposals put forward by businesses have since become concrete work items.
In the area of talent, RITA is advancing the creation of a one-stop agency for highly qualified professionals and the establishment of a European School in Riga, while work on extracurricular STEM activities is under way together with Deputy Mayor of Riga Vilnis Ķirsis and the Education, Culture and Sports Department. Proposals have also been prepared to reduce administrative barriers in construction processes, and at RITA’s initiative the work of the City Planning Council has become more open, with solutions now discussed together with developers.
In healthcare, RITA has visited Riga’s municipal healthcare companies and compiled their proposals for cooperation in clinical research, health data and technology piloting, which will become part of Riga’s offer to foreign investors. At the same time, a dialogue has been launched with the City Development Department, the Riga Digital Agency and national institutions on digital infrastructure and new incentives in priority areas.
Seven visits to the winners
Over the course of the year, the Mayor of Riga and RITA visited all seven 2025 winners: Longenesis, Fyello Productivity (Balsio), Atea Global Services, Zabbix, Linstow Baltic, Novartis Baltics and Erica Synths. Company leaders shared their growth plans and experience, and similar themes came up again and again: the availability of skilled talent, innovation in healthcare, faster construction and permitting processes, and urban infrastructure. Each visit resulted in a concrete next step, with RITA coordinating its implementation.
Businesses – the foundation of Riga’s growth
Businesses create jobs, attract investment and put Riga on the global map. They are Riga’s best ambassadors in the eyes of investors, and their experience helps the city understand where to reduce barriers and where to invest so that it becomes easier to start, grow and expand a business in Riga.
“Riga’s growth is driven by its businesses, and our task is to listen to them – and not only at an award ceremony. This year I have visited all seven ‘Riga Company of the Year 2025’ winners and heard both about their successes and about the obstacles that hold them back. Many of these can be addressed at city level, and we are already working on them,”
says Mayor of Riga Viesturs Kleinbergs.
“The ‘Riga Company of the Year’ award is the city’s way of saying thank you to the companies that create jobs, introduce innovation and strengthen Riga’s international competitiveness. At the same time, it is a platform for dialogue – the winners’ experience helps us work together with the city to find solutions that make Riga’s business environment even better. We are grateful to the companies for their openness and willingness to engage,”
says Fredis Bikovs, Director of RITA.
The dialogue continues with the 2026 winners
This year, the “Riga Company of the Year” award will be presented for the sixth time. Nominees in seven categories have been put forward by industry associations, and the winners will be announced on 23 November at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the Small Guild. After the ceremony, the Mayor of Riga and RITA will also visit the 2026 winners, continuing the dialogue between businesses and the city.
RITA thanks all “Riga Company of the Year 2025” winners and nominees for their openness and cooperation, as well as the industry associations for their contribution to increasing the value of the award.