The Very First BDA AI School Graduation Has Taken Place

Photo: Kristaps Liepa

At the end of July, we celebrated a significant milestone — the very first graduation ceremony of BDA AI School, which brought together more than 70 participants, developers, and experts.

During the event, we looked back on what had been learned throughout the BDA AI School programs and congratulated the graduates on their achievement. The event also featured presentations of 11 individually developed digitalization projects, showcasing practical and valuable AI solutions for businesses and society.

The projects covered a wide range of topics — from personal wardrobe planning for women over the age of 60 and health data analysis to automated customer inquiry classification, procurement digitalization, IT process automation, and data model development.

Photo: Kristaps Liepa

At the end of the presentations, attendees voted for the project they considered the most promising. The winner of a €1,000 BDA gift card redeemable for any course was Jurijs Hoļms, whose project focused on the digitalization of land-use information services. By leveraging AI, the process of obtaining information on territorial planning, building restrictions, permitted land-use types, and other important conditions could be automated and significantly simplified. Such a solution would save both time and money while making information about land-use opportunities far more accessible.

Laima Ziediņa-Mikaljūna, CEO of BDA, commented: “The graduates of BDA AI School have clearly demonstrated that AI is not merely a technology. It is a powerful tool for creating new opportunities. Over the course of these seven months, they not only mastered the fundamentals of AI technologies, but also learned to identify ways in which data and modern digital solutions can improve processes within their organizations by introducing innovative approaches. We believe that the knowledge and skills they have acquired, combined with their new ideas, will make a meaningful contribution to Latvia’s digital development.”

The BDA AI School began on 5 January 2026, and over the course of seven months every resident of Latvia had the opportunity to complete, free of charge*, three self-paced learning programs in sequence — from AI fundamentals and data processing to machine learning models, process automation, and the development of a well-founded digital transformation plan.

Photo: Kristaps Liepa

To develop the curriculum, provide mentoring, and support hackathons, we engaged highly experienced professionals and recognized AI experts: Ģirts Smelters, Mārcis Pinnis, Toms Bergmanis, Anna Aile, Kaspars Zemītis, Olavs Rāciņš, Pauls Jansons, Martins Kronis, and Mārtiņš Zviedris.

Photo: Kristaps Liepa

A heartfelt THANK YOU to every BDA AI School participant for your dedication, time, innovative ideas, and commitment to developing your AI expertise and acquiring the highly sought-after knowledge and skills of today. We hope that what you have learned will become the starting point for new discoveries, valuable collaborations, and impactful ideas that help build a more digitally advanced Latvia.

*All of the BDA AI School programs were implemented within the framework of the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility project No. 2.3.1.4.i.0/1/23/I/CFLA/001 “Development of the Individual Learning Accounts Approach.” The project concluded in May 2026.

Since 28 July, anyone wishing to develop or enhance their AI skills can enrol in the BDA AI School programs by purchasing a monthly subscription for €39.00. More information and registration are available here: www.delfi.lv/mi-skola.

Please note that part of the learning content is in Latvian.