Jūrmala residents manufacture hockey rinks and develop software for clinics

The idea for Skillbox, a rink for improving hockey skills, originated in Jūrmala, in the family of Diāna and Miks Dzindulis. To put the idea into practice, they brought in Māris Rozenieks, one of the founders of the “Skabarga” hockey goaltending school, and together the three of them established SIA “Skill Box”, which offers an expansion of the existing hockey infrastructure.

 

“For a hockey player to become a good player, training with a team, where the coach can devote three to four minutes to each player, is not always enough,” says Diāna Dzindule, a member of the company’s board. “The lack of suitable infrastructure for hockey training and its limited availability prompted us to create an alternative training location – a rink for improving hockey skills. The rink is adapted for improving shooting technique, various technical dribbling elements and the development of passing skills. At a rink installed by “Skill Box”, it is possible to train individually or together with a coach; equipment is available there to help improve and diversify the training process. We are currently working on innovative digitalised training methods that in the future will be available only at Skillbox rinks.”

 

The hockey skills training rink is easy to transport and modular, with its dimensions adjustable as needed. The first rink has already been built and is currently located in Mārupe. By March next year, “Skill Box” plans to build three more rinks.

 

SIA “Skill Box” plans to use the municipal grant to build a rink in Jūrmala, so that hockey players from our city can improve their skills both during the hockey season and between seasons.

 

“Skill Box” manufactures its rinks in cooperation with the Jūrmala company SIA “Rendomo”; “therefore, it can be said that the municipal grant has been awarded not to one but to two companies in Jūrmala,” says Diāna Dzindule.

The founders of “DoctoWell” are Dāvis Auškāps and Auseklis Sarkans. Dāvis Auškāps was born and raised in Melluži and proudly calls himself a Jūrmala resident. Jūrmala is also close to Auseklis Sarkans – his father lived here. Both studied at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, where they began their business projects during their studies.

 

“The software system we have developed automates the work of patients, specialists and institutions, ensures data availability, and provides an easy-to-use digital environment for delivering services,” Dāvis Auškāps explains, presenting the product. “It consists of a clinic management system and an e-booking platform. The solution is adapted to dental services, and clinics have already been using it for more than a year. It is the only software solution on the market designed specifically for Latvian dental clinics, making their work convenient and efficient.”

 

The company continues to develop solutions to improve the availability and digitalisation of medical services in Latvia and in export markets. The company’s future goals include adapting the solution for other healthcare sectors: physiotherapy, psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, gynaecology, urology, beauty care and wellness procedures, as well as veterinary medicine. “The funding from the “(ie)dvesma” grant provided by “SEB banka” will be used specifically to develop improvements to the solution, with the aim of expanding the company’s operations both geographically and into several healthcare sectors.”

 

About the grant programme

The “(ie)dvesma” support programme for developing new business ideas is implemented by “SEB banka” together with the city of Jūrmala and five other municipalities in the Pierīga region, awarding grants totalling 70,000 euros to the most promising business ideas. More than 70 applications were submitted for business support, and grants were awarded to nine business proposals.

Both private individuals planning to start their own business and companies that conduct or plan to conduct economic activity in one of the municipalities participating in the grant programme and were established no more than three years ago may apply for funding under the grant programme.

 

More information about the grant programme and the projects supported through it is available at www.seb.lv/iedvesma.