Riga is set to host a high-profile discussion on European startup policy during TechChill 2026, as European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva is scheduled to attend the Baltic Startup Policy Forum. According to the provided announcement, the visit will mark Zaharieva’s first official trip to Latvia and is expected to connect EU policy priorities more directly with Baltic founders, investors, and public officials. The forum will take place on March 26 within the broader TechChill event, which runs from March 25 to 27 in the Latvian capital.
Commissioner Visit Brings EU-Level Focus to the Baltics
The Commissioner’s participation raises the profile of the forum by bringing a senior EU policymaker into a regional setting at a time when startup regulation and innovation competitiveness are becoming more prominent in European policy debates. Organizers position the event as a platform for practical dialogue, where national ecosystem stakeholders can discuss how EU policy directions affect company formation, scaling, research commercialization, and cross-border investment. The visit also signals that Baltic startup ecosystems are increasingly being treated as active contributors to Europe-wide innovation strategy rather than peripheral markets.
Regional Policymakers and Ecosystem Leaders to Share Priorities
The forum is expected to open with Latvia’s Minister for Economics, Viktors Valainis, while senior officials from Estonia and Lithuania’s economic ministries are also slated to participate and present their national perspectives. In parallel, representatives from startup ecosystem organizations including Unicorns LT, Startin.LV, and the Estonian Founders Society are expected to address common regional barriers and growth opportunities. The agenda will emphasize how the Baltics can support the emergence of a new wave of high-growth companies while improving pathways for commercializing deeptech research.
Baltics Framed as a Strong Venue for EU Startup Policy Debate
The announcement argues that the Baltics are a credible setting for such a discussion because the region has built a reputation for startup-friendly policy environments and strong ecosystem performance relative to population size. It also highlights the Baltics’ outsized role in attracting European startup funding on a per-capita basis, a point frequently used to illustrate the region’s influence beyond its scale. This positioning supports the forum’s focus on broader EU policy initiatives, including proposals such as EU Inc that aim to reduce administrative fragmentation for building and funding startups across member states.
Strategic Autonomy and Deeptech Add Geopolitical Weight
Beyond startup regulation, Zaharieva is also expected to meet Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, for talks on the Baltics’ role in strengthening European strategic autonomy. The planned discussions are framed around intensifying global competition in areas such as semiconductors and quantum technologies, where industrial capability, research strength, and geopolitical alignment increasingly intersect. In that context, the Baltics are presented not only as startup markets but also as strategically located innovation actors with relevance to Europe’s long-term resilience and technological independence.
TechChill 2026 as the Regional Stage
TechChill, described as Latvia’s largest technology event, provides the institutional backdrop for the policy forum and helps explain why the gathering is being held in Riga. The event originated as a grassroots initiative and has grown into a major annual meeting point for startups, investors, corporates, speakers, and technology professionals from across the Baltic region and beyond. For 2026, organizers say the conference will host around 2,300 participants and feature 100 international speakers, creating a larger audience for policy discussions that might otherwise remain limited to government and industry insiders.
Taken together, the Commissioner’s visit, the Baltic Startup Policy Forum, and TechChill’s broader international audience create a timely opportunity to elevate Baltic perspectives in EU innovation policymaking. The planned discussions combine immediate startup ecosystem concerns, such as scaling and investment conditions, with longer-term issues tied to deeptech commercialization and European competitiveness. If the event delivers substantive cross-border dialogue, it could strengthen the Baltics’ influence in shaping the next phase of Europe’s startup and research policy agenda.