LIKTA Vision

Latvia does not have much in the way of natural resources, and the pride of our government – transit of products and the forestry industry – will probably not enjoy radical growth in the future.
Virtually the only way in which Latvia can really flourish is to provide intellectual services – the kind of services for which there is unlimited demand in the world now, and for which it seems that there will be inexhaustible demand in the future. There is a great deficit of IT&T specialists in the United States and Europe, including in Scandinavia, which is not far from us. It is entirely possible for us to ensure that orders for information technologies are made in Latvia and the Baltic States.
This would create an export-oriented sector here with 40,000 jobs and exports worth approximately USD 4 billion. Tax income would double Latvia's national budget. It is only if such income levels were ensured that the state could double teacher and physician salaries, as well as pensions for those who are retired.

This is the idea which has brought together the Latvian Information Technology and Telecommunications Association (LIKTA). It merges organizations and individual members. Understandably, LIKTA's work is aimed at promoting education in the IT&T sector and at increasing the number of people who are students in this area. This is a key priority, because intellectual services cannot be provided by people who are poorly educated, nor can information technologies be used by people who do not know how to do that.

Much has already been achieved. Professional standards have been drafted, support has been given for the establishment of IT&T colleges, and the number of people at Latvia's universities who are studying the IT sector has increased.
LIKTA is a member of CEPIS (the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies) and ECDL-F (The European Computer Driving License Foundation). This will allow Latvia to introduce the ECDL training program in Latvia, and a wide range of computer users will be able to improve their skills and then to receive an ECDL certificate that is recognized in all of the countries of the European Union.

Much more remains to be done, however, because the number of people who are IT&T students at Latvia's universities must be increased 10 times over.

In its first years of operations, LIKTA has grown from being a small organization. Today it is an association which has every right to represent the sector as such. LIKTA members include the largest companies in the industry, as well as highly recognized experts from the sector. The fact that organizations and individuals are brought together as members of LIKTA is something that is unique indeed. LIKTA represents member interests in terms of legislation, by reacting actively to things that happen in Latvia, and by representing the industry in international circles.