Silava

What Silava does

Silava (Latvijas Valsts mežzinātnes institūts "Silava") is the Latvian State Forest Research Institute, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Salaspils, Latvia. It operates as a state-owned scientific institution that conducts applied and basic research across forest ecology, genetics, wildlife management, climate change mitigation, carbon sequestration, peatland science, and biodiversity conservation. The institute employs 51–100 staff and serves as the authoritative scientific voice for forest policy in Latvia, providing research data to the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, the Latvian Academy of Sciences, and the Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.

The institute's portfolio spans specialized research services and data products rather than unified software products. Core offerings include the National Forest Monitoring System, a Gene Bank for forest genetic resources, a Latvian Fast-Growing Deciduous Tree Clones Registry, peatland research mapping, vegetation databases, cartographic materials, a critical wind speed analysis tool, and intellectual property management (patents, plant varieties, trademarks). It also produces scientific publications, monographs, doctoral theses, and a podcast series for science outreach. Underlying capabilities include climate monitoring, greenhouse gas flux measurements, wildlife population studies, and genetic resource management.

Silava's revenue model is a hybrid of public funding and competitive grants. Primary streams include Latvian government institutional funding for core operations, EU research grants (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020), fee-based research services and consulting for government agencies and industry, and one-time sales of publications and educational materials. Pricing for research services is quote-based with multi-year contracts. The institute also pursues science outreach through conferences (Old-Growth Forests Conference, Baltic Theriological Conference), European Researchers' Night, and media collaborations. Its geographic footprint is primarily domestic (Latvia), with international engagement through EU research networks and scientific conferences. The institute is led by a director elected internally, with Guntars Šņepsts elected as director in June 2026.

Name

Silava

Legal name

Latvijas Valsts mežzinātnes institūts "Silava"

Website

https://silava.lv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Silava is the Latvian State Forest Research Institute, a state-owned entity conducting applied research in forest ecology, genetics, wildlife management, and climate science. It serves Latvian government agencies, the Latvian Academy of Sciences, and the scientific community with monitoring data, expert consulting, and EU-funded research projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural Resource Inventory & Forest/Woodland Assessments (Timber, Vegetation, Invasives) (EUAHAHAG), Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics (AFAMAKAG), Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI), Forest Health Surveys & Risk Assessment (Tree Hazard, Mortality) (AFAMAEAI), Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK)

Keywords

• Forest research
• Forestry science
• Wildlife monitoring
• Climate mitigation research
• Forest genetic resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Salaspils

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Institutional Funding: Core institutional funding from Latvian government for public research institute operations
2. EU Research Grants: Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020 and other EU funding programmes for forest research projects
3. Research Services and Consulting: Fee-based research services, monitoring, assessments, and expert consultations for government agencies and industry
4. Publications and Educational Materials: Sale of scientific publications, monographs, maps, and informational materials

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Silava conducts applied and basic research on Latvian forests, delivering national forest ecosystem monitoring, wildlife population studies, climate and greenhouse gas measurements, peatland and vegetation mapping, forest genetic resource preservation, and expert policy advisory services. Its portfolio includes a gene bank, a tree clone registry, an analytical wind speed tool, scientific publications, and fee-based consulting services for government agencies and forest industry stakeholders.

Product overview

Silava (Latvijas Valsts mežzinātnes institūts / Latvian State Forest Research Institute) is a forest research institution that offers a portfolio of research services and products rather than a unified software product. The offering spans scientific publishing (publications, monographs), specialized research services (gene bank, peatland mapping, cartographic materials), intellectual property management (patents, trademarks, plant varieties), educational resources (doctoral theses, library services), digital tools (critical wind speed analysis tool), science communication (podcasts, vegetation databases), and clone registries for forestry applications. This is a research institute providing consulting, data, and research outputs to forest sector stakeholders, not a commercial technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gene Bank for Forest Genetic Resources (Gēnu banka) Repository service for preservation and management of genetic material from forest species, supporting conservation and breeding programs for forest owners, breeders, and government agencies.
• Latvian Fast-Growing Deciduous Tree Clones Registry Official registry documenting and tracking selected fast-growing deciduous tree clones in Latvia, available to forestry operators, breeders, and researchers for selection and planting decisions.
• Peatland Research Mapping (Kūdrāju pētniecības kartējums) Mapping and research service on peatland areas in Latvia, supporting environmental planning, conservation, and climate research for government agencies and researchers.
• Critical Wind Speed and Recurrence Probability Tool Analytical tool for determining critical wind speed thresholds and their probability of recurrence, used by forest managers and planners to assess wind risk for forest stands.
• Cartographic Materials (Kartogrāfiskie materiāli) Cartographic data and mapping materials produced from the institute's forest research, available to government agencies, researchers, and forest industry users.
• Information Materials and Monographs (Informācijas materiāli, monogrāfijas) Scientific publications, monographs, and information resources produced by the institute, sold to researchers, libraries, and forest sector stakeholders.
• Patents, Trademarks, Plant Varieties, and Know-how Licensed intellectual property assets including registered plant varieties, trademarks, patents, and proprietary know-how in forest genetics and breeding, made available to industry and breeding partners.
• Latvia Vegetation (Latvijas Veģetācija) Vegetation research and documentation resource covering Latvian plant communities, made available to researchers, conservation planners, and government agencies.
• Historical Research Material Data (Vēsturisko pētniecisko materiālu dati) Archive of historical forest research data and materials maintained by the institute, accessible to researchers, government bodies, and educational institutions for long-term studies.
• Research Library Services (Bibliotēka) Library services providing access to catalogs, scientific literature databases, and the institute's institutional publications for researchers, students, and partner organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• National forest monitoring data informing policy decisions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025International cooperation for the Old-Growth Forests Conference 2025, bringing together forest researchers globally to discuss old-growth forest conservation and policy
• Latvian Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport and co-organization of the 12th Baltic Theriological Conference
• Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (LLMZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organization of scientific conferences and research collaboration in forestry and agricultural sciences
• Salaspils Novada DomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government support for science outreach events including European Researchers' Night activities
• Nacionālais botāniskais dārzsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the educational game 'Mežs – mūsu mantojums' (Forest – Our Heritage) and joint science outreach activities
• EU Horizon Projects (FORWARDS, INFORMA, CLIMB-FOREST, PROGNOSIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration within EU research frameworks conducting old-growth forest studies across various aspects
• Forest Research Station VētraineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVenue provider for Old-Growth Forests Conference 2025, offering conference facilities and accommodation at Science and Learning Support Centre

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCV5kRcGWfIMCrrMP8eQpm0w
• Facebookfacebook.com/LVMISilava
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latvian-state-forest-research-institute-silava
• Instagraminstagram.com/lvmi_silava

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Silava