From monitoring swimming pool water quality to highly specific tests in gold mines, Latvian companies “WATERIGA” and “WATERIGA Technologies” operate in a niche where precision is crucial. “WATERIGA” works in close cooperation with the U.S. manufacturer “Industrial Test Systems”, ensuring the availability of various water testing products in the European market. Meanwhile, “WATERIGA Technologies” does not limit itself to product distribution — the company is also developing its own innovations in Latvia. Last year, with support from the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) innovation voucher, a digital computer vision solution for automatic reading of water tests on a mobile device was created, while a new radiation measurement prototype is being developed within the LIAA Liepāja business incubation program.
The range of products distributed by “WATERIGA” includes various water quality testing solutions — from simple test strips to digital photometers and multi-parameter analysis kits that allow detection of indicators such as pH level, chlorine content, nitrates, water hardness, metals, and other pollutants. These tests are widely used in the swimming pool and SPA industry, where regular monitoring of disinfection levels and water safety is required, as well as in aquariums and aquaculture, where even small fluctuations in water chemistry can significantly affect fish health. The company’s clients also include food manufacturers, who use the tests not only to check water but also to verify the quality of cleaning and disinfection of production equipment. In the industrial segment, these solutions are used for drinking water monitoring and wastewater control, including highly specific cases.
“In some very specific water testing areas, we also have clients in Azerbaijan — for example, in gold mines, where it is necessary to monitor wastewater and detect the presence of specific toxic substances. It is important to ensure that everything is done correctly and that nothing harmful enters the environment,” says Māris Egle, head of both companies.
“WATERIGA” is closely linked to “Industrial Test Systems” — the company was founded more than 35 years ago in the United States by Māris Egle’s uncle, a chemist who developed the first chemical analysis tests in his own garage. Over time, the company has grown into an internationally recognized niche manufacturer in the field of water testing, while “WATERIGA” is responsible for distributing these products in the European market — adapting them to specific customer needs, distributing them, and developing new applications. Although the company has clients in Latvia — including food production companies and sports infrastructure facilities — about 95% of its turnover comes from exports. The main export markets include Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Poland, Romania, as well as Azerbaijan and the Baltic states.
Alongside a stable export business, the company is increasingly focusing on the development of innovative technological solutions. As Māris Egle notes, long-term experience in this specific market has made it clear where existing solutions still have room for improvement and where new ideas can be created.
One such direction is the development of an innovative computer vision solution that allows automated interpretation of water test results using a mobile application. Typically, water quality testing involves a reagent kit with a test strip that changes color after a reaction. To determine the result, the strip must be compared with a color chart, from which parameters such as pH level, chlorine content, nitrates, water hardness, or other chemical indicators can be read. The newly developed solution automates this process — using a phone camera, the test result can be read and interpreted without subjective human judgment.
However, as Māris Egle explains, this is also where the main technological challenge lies: for reliable automated reading, factors such as the device’s camera, its image processing algorithms, lighting conditions, and other environmental aspects must be taken into account. The company used LIAA innovation voucher support to develop the solution, implementing the project in cooperation with Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. Similar solutions have been attempted before, but achieving accurate and reliable results is not simple.
“Attempts to create something similar have been made before, but technologically it is not an easy task. That’s why it was important for us to find partners capable of solving this problem with sufficient precision and quality, and cooperation with Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences has been very successful — we have succeeded. At the moment, the solution is still in a pre-commercialization stage, as we are awaiting customer feedback, but it already works, and we can confidently say that our solution is significantly superior to existing alternatives on the market,” says Māris Egle.
“WATERIGA Technologies” is also working on another innovation direction — the development of a radiation measurement device. With this product as a separate development focus, the company has joined the LIAA Liepāja business incubation program. As explained by the company, the idea of a radiation meter is not entirely new — the initial prototype was created several years ago, but it is now being redesigned using more modern technologies to create a competitive and market-ready product.
Māris Egle admits that alongside the export business, personal ambition also plays an important role in developing new products — the desire to create something new here in Latvia. In his view, working in the international market provides confidence that even a small Latvian company can develop competitive technological solutions. “Yes, I am definitely driven by personal ambition to create something new in Latvia, with the belief that we can do better. We often hear that Germany is Europe’s industrial giant, but when you see some of the solutions on the market, you gain confidence — we really can do better,” says Māris Egle.
At the same time, he acknowledges that the innovation environment is still a relatively new direction for the company, where not everything happens linearly or predictably. “If we knew exactly what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called innovation,” he adds with humor.
The company hopes that both new development directions — the digital water testing solution and the radiation measurement project — will, in the coming years, not only expand export potential but also enable the production of these products in Latvia.
The program is funded under the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027, within the specific objective 1.2.1 “Strengthening research and innovation capacity and the introduction of advanced technologies in enterprises,” measure 1.2.1.4 “Support for improving the technology transfer system.”
