Construction and Related Industries Digital Skills Training Project
Project No.: 2.3.1.2.i.0/2/23/A/CFLA/003
Buvnieks.com Success Story – How Perseverance, Belief in the Product, and Collaboration with a Skilled Programmer Turned an Idea into Reality
For some time now, the newly established platform Buvnieks.com has been operating in Latvia, bringing together local craftsmen, manufacturers, and suppliers in one place. It allows users to find anything related to renovations and construction and to send requests to multiple companies at once.
Currently, Buvnieks.com unites around 4,000 craftsmen, manufacturers, and suppliers. New companies and individual specialists register on the platform daily. The platform’s founder, Ilze Jankovska, explains how it works: “Searching for companies online and sending individual emails to each one takes a lot of time. With Buvnieks.com, however, you can send a request in 30 seconds to up to 40 companies in a given category, such as window or door manufacturers. Evaluating multiple offers gives you the chance not to miss the best one.”
Ilze Jankovska has been working in the construction industry for over 12 years. She started by investing in small apartments, where complex projects were often required—not only major renovations but also projects involving gas installations and more. The idea for the platform came to her during an IT conference. Now, after a few months of operation, many companies have already gained clients. In the summer of 2024, there were many orders related to foundation work, roof coverings, etc., while in winter, the focus shifted more to interior work or planning for spring projects.
The idea’s realization was driven by perseverance. Ilze knew how the platform needed to function, but since she was not experienced in programming, she realized she needed a skilled programmer—a challenging task. Her persistence, belief in the product, and collaboration with a programmer and partner from Estonia, Tomas Stromberg, led to the creation of an efficient, fast, and easily manageable system.
Source: labsoflatvia.com
A company’s digital maturity helps create opportunities for development and growth in the construction industry
Interview participants:
Madara Melne-Krūmiņa
Latvian Information Technology Cluster
Board Member, Head of the EDIC Team
What is the Latvian IT Cluster and what is its role?
The Latvian Information Technology (IT) Cluster was founded in 2007 and currently has around 80 members. The cluster was established to promote products created by Latvian IT companies and to enhance their export potential. The Latvian IT Cluster organizes various trade missions and events, allowing companies to gain knowledge about market trends, participate in export visits, showcase their products, understand the needs of foreign markets, and present their capabilities.
What are the functions of EDIC and what role does digitalization play in company development?
In today’s world, there are countless digital solutions and a huge variety of offerings, alongside diverse company needs. Often, companies feel overwhelmed by this abundance. While they generally understand their needs and know what requires improvement, they are not always confident which digital solution or approach is right for their digital transformation. This is where the European Digital Innovation Center (EDIC) comes in.
EDIC is part of the European Digital Programme. The centers were established to help companies identify the right digital solutions and strategies. For businesses, continuing to develop digitally is crucial—not only to increase export potential and efficiency, but also to improve productivity and optimize sales or production processes. In other words, EDIC helps align digital solutions with the company’s needs. EDIC is the first point of contact for companies looking to find the right and desired solution. The center has built a strong team of experts who guide businesses on their digital development journey.
EDIC has collected a vast amount of information about company needs. So far, about 7,000 companies have approached EDIC, providing information on their digital maturity and areas for improvement. Various studies have also been conducted, including digital maturity tests (an EU-developed tool that measures a company’s digital maturity), which help identify opportunities for growth and development.
As a side note, BITE together with the SKDS research center conducted a study showing that 38% of companies agree that improving digital skills is essential and that ICT is crucial for business development. This indicates that there is still significant potential for growth. Additionally, in 31% of cases, company leaders recognize that employees do not always have sufficient knowledge to enhance internal processes, highlighting the need for training and acquiring new skills to increase export potential and improve production processes.
What is the purpose of the Digital Development Roadmap?
As an EDIC center, together with the Latvian IT Cluster, we focus on digitalizing production processes. We created a website, www.dih.lv, where companies can request a digital transformation roadmap. It is user-friendly and designed based on company needs, allowing businesses to submit a request for a roadmap.
Regarding training programs, this roadmap can be generated within minutes. On the website, by clicking the “test” button, a business enters information about their company and applies for a training program. The roadmap is automatically generated, which then enables participation in the chosen training program.
What training programs does LIFT offer, and what does the Latvian Window and Door Manufacturers Association provide?
Currently, two types of training programs are available. The first was created by the Latvian IT Cluster in collaboration with the Riga Business School under the LIFT program. It offers various training opportunities with a strong focus on artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, demonstrating how AI can be applied in daily business processes, such as organizing document workflows.
The second program was developed by the Latvian Window and Door Manufacturers Association, providing industry-specific courses aimed at improving the qualifications of construction sector employees.
How does the Latvian IT Cluster view the future of digitalization in companies?
The Latvian IT Cluster and EDIC see digital development as critically important. Companies today must not waste time on processes where digital components can be applied. It is vital to stay updated not only on industry trends but also on digital transformation trends. We work carefully to provide businesses with practical knowledge that can be applied daily.
It is essential to understand how to use this knowledge to create new products, add value to services, and improve internal processes. This ensures companies remain confident in their operations and competitive not only in Latvia but also globally.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights the most important skills in the labor market. It emphasizes that analytical thinking remains the top skill for workers, followed by resilience, flexibility, agility, as well as leadership and social influence. The report stresses that adaptability and collaboration are crucial alongside cognitive skills, complemented by creative thinking, motivation, and self-awareness.
The report states:
“The 10 core skills are complemented by technological literacy, empathy and active listening, curiosity and lifelong learning, talent management, and a service- and customer-oriented mindset. This shows that workers need to balance professional (hard) skills and general (soft) skills to succeed in today’s work environment.”
Source: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf
Information about one of the courses available in the project
BIM Expert
Instructors:
Agnis Mārtiņš Bērziņš, Māris Besarskis, Andris Vilcāns, Armands Dreijers, Rolands Ancāns, Ēriks Vītols, Aivars Ozoliņš
TRAINING COURSE CONTENT:
• BIM execution planning
• Advanced BIM coordination strategies
• BIM standards and compliance
• Management and communication skills
• BIM for building operations
• Advanced system modeling
• Construction documentation and scheduling
• Coordination and clash detection
• BIM for facility operation and maintenance
• BIM integration with structural analysis tools
• Design optimization in BIM
• BIM for construction documentation
• Development of structural details and reinforcement
• Complex architectural elements
• Site and landscape integration
• Advanced visualization techniques
• Collaboration and coordination with other disciplines (e.g., structural and MEP modeling)
Business Process Digitalization
Latvian Window and Door Manufacturers Association (LLDRA)
Training Project Offer
“Digital Skills Training Project for the Construction Industry and Related Sectors”
Project No. 2.3.1.2.i.0/2/23/A/CFLA/003
The project is implemented until 30 June 2026.
Applications for new training under the project are open until 30 April 2026.
Please submit your application by sending an information request to apmacibas@lldra.lv.
The project’s investment goal is to provide Latvian-registered micro, small, medium, and large enterprises with basic digital, robotics, and automation skills, digital transformation and digital innovation competencies, including skills that promote export, high-level digital management skills at the company leadership level, and the ability to apply digital technologies in various business processes.
The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union Recovery Fund.
The project’s initial total eligible costs amount to EUR 1,134,000, including a planned Recovery Fund support of EUR 567,000.
The opinions and views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them.