As Latvian companies increasingly explore opportunities in the defence and dual-use markets, “Lightspace Technologies” demonstrates how a single technology can find applications in both the civilian and defence sectors.
From Defence to Medicine – and Back to Defence
Augmented reality technology company “Lightspace Technologies” was established 12 years ago after acquiring patented volumetric display technology originally developed by a US start-up for the defence industry. However, Ilmārs Osmanis, owner of “Lightspace Technologies”, saw an opportunity to apply the technology in medicine, and the company’s first products were developed as early as 2019.
Although the industry responded positively to the technology, virtual reality headsets were attracting most of the attention in the medical sector at the time. There was widespread confidence that the day was close when a surgeon wearing such a headset could be on one side of the world while the patient being treated was on the other. As experience has since shown, however, progress has not been quite so rapid.
“We then realised that our technology could be just as useful in headsets as it was on large displays, so we decided to focus on head-mounted solutions. Our first augmented reality headset was developed shortly before the pandemic,” says I. Osmanis.
After the pandemic, “Lightspace Technologies” had already established promising cooperation with several medical technology companies. However, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed the situation, as major companies put their new product development projects on hold.
“We had no other choice but to move towards defence. We changed course and began focusing on the defence sector,” says I. Osmanis.
Seeing Much More of the Surroundings
Today, “Lightspace Technologies” produces augmented reality headsets, or head-mounted displays. These devices are larger than conventional glasses and, to an unfamiliar observer, may look more like a helmet.
For example, an armoured vehicle operator who would normally see only a limited part of the outside environment through a small viewing window can use the augmented reality headset to gain a much broader view of the surroundings.
“We improve visibility and create the feeling that the operator is driving a regular car and can see everything around them. We can also integrate images from a drone flying ahead of the armoured vehicle,” I. Osmanis explains.
People who have previously tried virtual reality headsets are sometimes so disappointed by the experience that they are reluctant to try them again. I. Osmanis stresses that “Lightspace Technologies” has succeeded in creating an image that looks genuinely natural and does not cause unnecessary strain on the eyes.
“We understand image-generation technology so well that we can design the headset to ensure that the image appears in the correct position and at a high resolution. As a result, the headset can be worn for hours,” he says.
The company currently operates exclusively in export markets, working with partners in the United Kingdom and Poland. Exports to Germany are also planned in the near future.
Latvian Innovation Recognised by “Rheinmetall”
The innovation potential of “Lightspace Technologies” is also demonstrated by a EUR 2.3 million grant awarded under the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator pilot scheme.
A few years ago, “Lightspace Technologies” also signed a partnership agreement with “Rheinmetall Electronics UK”, part of the defence industry group “Rheinmetall”, to jointly develop and manufacture multifocal augmented reality systems for military applications.
The cooperation aims to combine the strengths of both companies to develop augmented reality systems and applications specifically tailored to the needs of the defence and security sector. The planned solutions are expected to significantly improve situational awareness, decision-making and operational effectiveness in military operations.
In 2024, Finnish defence and security technology group “Summa Defence” became the owner of “Lightspace Technologies”.
“We are still called ‘Lightspace Technologies’ and continue doing what we did before. The Finnish company wanted us to become part of its group, and this step in our development gives us access to new contacts,” says I. Osmanis.
As Difficult as Flying to the Moon
Asked how difficult it is to work with the defence industry, I. Osmanis replies: “It is as difficult as flying to the Moon. The defence industry is a complex ecosystem. In Europe, defence forces are funded by national governments, which means that companies have to work with governments. You also have to take into account that Europe’s defence sector is not a single unified market.”
So how can a company reach the defence ministries of major European countries? I. Osmanis stresses that the most important prerequisite is having a product that is ready to demonstrate.
“Nothing happens in this industry without demonstrations and trials,” he points out.
The next step is to understand who the product should be demonstrated to. Knocking directly on the ministry’s door is unlikely to be the right approach. Instead, I. Osmanis recommends finding a local partner that is interested in cooperation and in introducing new technology in the respective country. However, this process differs from country to country and effectively has to be started again in each new market.
Another challenge is that innovative technologies can find it difficult to secure funding in smaller countries.
“Everyone generally likes new technologies, but smaller countries have other priorities – first they need to dig a trench along the border and buy ammunition. Objectively, therefore, new technologies can primarily be sold to larger countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Poland is also quite open at the moment, but everyone looks at it from a commercial perspective – whether the product can be sold immediately,” adds I. Osmanis.
