Valsts zinātniskais institūts BIOR

What Valsts zinātniskais institūts BIOR does

Valsts zinātniskais institūts BIOR is a Latvian state scientific institute (valsts zinātniskais institūts) established in its current form on January 1, 2010, through the merger of the National Diagnostics Centre of the Food and Veterinary Service with the inland fisheries functions of the former Latvia Fish Resource Agency, with operational lineage back to a 1940 veterinary bacteriological laboratory. The institute employs approximately 400 professionals, of whom around 250 focus on research and around 100 hold academic positions as leading researchers, researchers, or scientific assistants. It operates three core laboratories — Chemistry, Microbiology and Pathology, and Medical — alongside an Inland and Marine Fish Resources Research Department, supported by an Aquaculture Research and Innovation Infrastructure Centre and five state fish farms (Tome, Dole, Pelči, Kārlči, Brasla).

BIOR functions as Latvia's National Reference Laboratory and as the country's EFSA National Focal Point since January 24, 2013, providing diagnostic and reference services in animal infectious diseases, zoonoses, food chemistry, microbiological and clinical testing, and wastewater surveillance. It was the first EU member state to launch official national wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 and now operates that program across 15 municipalities. Fisheries activities produce and release at least 2.6 million juvenile fish and 11.6 million fish fry annually into Latvian waters. Distribution is via a central laboratory in Riga, 16 sample collection points across Latvia, an e.bior.lv client portal, and dedicated fish farms.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: state-budget funding for regulatory and supervisory functions (treated as recurring government grants), fee-based laboratory testing services priced via an official state price list (cenrādis), and sales of juvenile fish from the fish farms to private fish farmers and pond owners. Additional income comes from competitive grants (e.g., a €300,000 TRANPAR grant from the Latvian Science Council) and EU-funded research projects. Customers span government/public health agencies (CDPC, municipalities), food and aquaculture businesses, veterinarians, hunters, and fishermen.

Name

Valsts zinātniskais institūts BIOR

Legal name

Pārtikas drošības, dzīvnieku veselības un vides zinātniskais institūts BIOR

Website

https://bior.lv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BIOR is a Latvian state scientific institute operating chemistry, microbiology, and medical laboratories alongside five fish farms. As the National Reference Laboratory and EFSA National Focal Point, it delivers food safety, veterinary, and environmental testing across Latvia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Laboratory and Diagnostics Services

NAICS

Animal Production and Aquaculture (112)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAEANAI

Veterinary Public Health, Biosecurity & Disease Control Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

SECONDARYAFALAAAJ

Water, Ice & Process Utility Testing for Food Operations

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen)

SECONDARYAFALAAAE

Environmental Monitoring & Hygiene Verification (Swabs, ATP, Pathogen Monitoring)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen)

SECONDARYHLAJAIAL

Biothreat/Biocontainment & Select Agent Public Health Laboratories

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Laboratories & Reference Testing Networks

Keywords

• Laboratory testing services
• Food safety diagnostics
• Veterinary examinations
• Environmental water analysis
• Fish resource reproduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Riga

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: State budget funding for performing regulatory functions, national reference laboratory services, and state supervision programs
2. Laboratory Testing Services: Fee-based laboratory testing services for food safety, veterinary diagnostics, water analysis, and environmental monitoring for private clients, businesses, and public institutions
3. Fish Stock and Aquaculture Products: Sale of rainbow trout, sturgeon, zander, pike, and carp juveniles to private fish farmers and pond owners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BIOR is a state scientific institute providing laboratory diagnostic and research services across food safety, animal health, and environmental domains. It operates three laboratories (Chemistry, Microbiology and Pathology, Medical), conducts water and veterinary testing, runs national wastewater SARS-CoV-2 monitoring, and manages five fish farms for state fish resource reproduction and aquaculture research.

Product overview

BIOR is a government scientific institute offering a unified portfolio of laboratory diagnostic and research services rather than a commercial product platform. The core offerings include three main laboratories (Chemistry, Microbiology and Pathology, Medical), water and veterinary testing services, and wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2. The institute also operates five fish farms (Tome, Dole, Pelči, Kārļi, Brasla) dedicated to fish resource reproduction and sustainable fisheries management. A customer portal (e.bior.lv) provides client access to services. The institute functions as the EFSA National Focal Point in Latvia and conducts research across food safety, animal health, and environmental domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeDRINK: Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme project on drinking water safety regarding microplastic pollution in the Baltic Sea region, where BIOR is the lead partner
• TRANSPAR
• EU-WISH
• EU-JAMRAI 2
• OH4Surveillance
• DURABLE
• BioPhot

Products and services

• Ķīmijas laboratorija (Chemistry Laboratory) Conducts chemical indicator research and analysis in food products, environmental samples, and other objects for food industry, public institutions, and private clients.
• Mikrobioloģijas un patoloģijas laboratorija (Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,600,000+ fish juveniles and 11,600,000 fish fry released annually into Latvian waters
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Interreg Baltic Sea Region ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025BIOR is the leading partner in the SafeDRINK project (project No. 1.1.1.9/LZP/1/24/122) focused on strengthening drinking water safety regarding microplastic pollution in the Baltic Sea region. Project runs under Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2013BIOR serves as the official EFSA National Focal Point in Latvia since January 24, 2013. The institute acts as a bridge between EFSA's scientific work at EU level and Latvian food chain stakeholders, promoting participation in EFSA's scientific networks and disseminating information on food and feed safety, animal health, and plant health.
• Latvian Biomedical Research and Study CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in wastewater SARS-CoV-2 monitoring. Analysis focuses on detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA and other substances relevant to public health in untreated wastewater samples collected from municipal wastewater treatment plants.
• Riga Technical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in wastewater monitoring initiative for SARS-CoV-2 detection and public health surveillance in Latvia.
• DURABLE ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-sector consortium addressing health challenges with focus on productive interaction with HERA and other stakeholders for advanced research.
• EU-JAMRAI 2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project developing national action plan regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) considering the interconnection between humans and animals using One Health approach.
• EU-WISHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-WASTEWATER INVESTIGATION FOR ONE HEALTH project supporting measures to improve, expand, and consolidate wastewater surveillance in public health.
• OH4SurveillanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject supporting participating countries to effectively, coordinately, and cooperatively establish and expand One Health surveillance for priority pathogens.
• EIFAACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission - BIOR participates in activities related to inland fisheries and aquaculture research coordination.
• Makšķernieku klubs SALACKRASTIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with fishermen association for salmon and sea trout counting in Salaca river using automatic fish registration equipment VAKI Riverwatcher.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ruokavirasto (Finnish Food Authority): Finland's central government agency for food safety, animal health, and plant health. Closely comparable to BIOR in mission, scope (food/feed control, animal disease diagnostics, research), and EFSA Focal Point role within a neighboring Baltic/Nordic EU state.
• Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA): Sweden's expert authority on animal health, including infectious-disease diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance, and One Health surveillance. Comparable to BIOR's veterinary diagnostics and reference-laboratory functions, though operating at a larger national scale.
• National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (NMVRVI, Lithuania): Lithuania's national reference institution for food and veterinary risk assessment, conducting laboratory diagnostics and scientific risk assessment. Directly comparable in scope, Baltic regional footprint, and EFSA Focal Point responsibilities.
• Estonian Veterinary and Food Laboratory (VFL): Estonia's state veterinary and food reference laboratory providing diagnostic, food-safety, and microbiological testing. Operates in the same Baltic regulatory ecosystem as BIOR with an overlapping One Health and animal-health diagnostic mandate.

Broad incumbents

• ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire): France's national agency for food, environmental, and occupational health safety. Comparable in mission (One Health reference laboratory, risk assessment, research) but operates at a much larger pan-French scale across multiple sites.
• Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS): Italy's network of experimental zooprophylactic institutes performing animal-disease diagnostics, food-safety testing, and veterinary research. Comparable in reference-laboratory function and animal-health focus, though structured as a multi-site national network.
• Statens Serum Institut (SSI): Denmark's national institute for infectious disease preparedness and diagnostics. Overlaps with BIOR's wastewater surveillance, microbiology, and public-health reference laboratory mandate, but at a significantly larger scale with broader scope.

Emerging players

• Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR): Dutch research institute (part of Wageningen UR) focused on veterinary diagnostics and One Health. Comparable to BIOR's microbiology/pathology laboratory and infectious-disease diagnostics, though embedded within a broader agricultural research university.

Regional players

• National Marine Fisheries Research Institute (Poland - NMFRI): Poland's national marine fisheries research institute. Comparable to BIOR's Marine Division and fisheries-monitoring/data-collection responsibilities under the EU Data Collection Framework, serving a neighboring Baltic Sea jurisdiction.
• Estonian Marine Institute: Estonian public marine and fisheries research institute covering fish-stock assessment, aquaculture, and Baltic Sea monitoring. Directly comparable to BIOR's Fish Resources Research Department and inland-water fish reproduction mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@zinatniskaisinstitutsbior3471
• Facebookfacebook.com/InstitutsBIOR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scientific-institute-of-food-safety-animal-health-and

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Valsts zinātniskais institūts BIOR