Lastrada: digitalisation support allows for more efficient workflow

Lastrada is a road construction company founded in 2018 with its registered office in Saulkrasti and its technical base in Bīriņi, Limbaži Municipality. The company specialises in road construction and, since its inception, has carried out projects of various scales in the Riga region and elsewhere in Latvia, including through collaboration with local governments and private clients, as well as by regularly participating in public procurements. In recent years, the company has experienced rapid growth, significantly increasing its turnover and developing its technical capacity. 

To increase work efficiency and reduce dependence on human resources at job sites, the company has utilised support from the Digitalisation Programme the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), implementing two projects to equip road construction machinery with automation solutions. “We had already considered this direction of digitalisation before, but the investments are quite substantial. If it had to be fully financed from our own funds, the decision wouldn’t have been easy. When the opportunity to obtain co-financing arose, the decision was made immediately,” says the company’s founder and CEO Mārtiņš Mednis. 

LIAA’s support has enabled the company to implement solutions that significantly improve the quality and speed of work processes. Automation systems ensure more precise work execution, reduce the risk of errors, and allow for a greater volume of work to be completed in the same amount of time. 

The company views its collaboration with LIAA during the project’s implementation very positively. Although Mr Mednis acknowledges that preparing the documentation required a certain amount of effort, the company managed it on its own, and supportive communication was available when needed. “If there were any questions, the LIAA was always responsive and provided explanations. You can handle everything on your own, you just must get started,” emphasises Mr Mednis. 

He also notes that the programme’s terms have become more business-friendly over time: the administrative burden has decreased, and the project evaluation process has accelerated. Sharing his experience, the company’s CEO encourages other businesses to take advantage of the available support tools: “If you have an idea and a clear goal, then such projects should be implemented. It’s a good way to accelerate growth.” 

Information material prepared with the support of the Recovery Fund. The author is solely responsible for the content of this publication. The views expressed herein do not reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Commission.