How is Bulgaria developing its scientific infrastructure according to the goals of the "Bulgaria 2030" strategy?

The development of science in Bulgaria is impossible without a sufficient amount of resources, in particular scientific infrastructure, which is one of the key conditions for carrying out research activities. How exactly is the Government of Bulgaria engaged in its development and which areas of work are priorities? Let us talk about this in more detail in today’s article.

“Bulgaria 2030”: development of scientific infrastructure

In the National Development Programme “Bulgaria 2030”, which is a key strategic document for the country’s socio-economic progress, a special place is given to the priority “Science and scientific infrastructure”.

It envisages the implementation of a number of initiatives aimed at the development of research infrastructure. They are intended to modernise and expand the country’s scientific capacities so that Bulgaria can integrate into global innovation processes and increase its competitiveness. Let us consider further how exactly the Government plans to achieve these ambitious goals.

We also recommend reading our previous articles about the integration of Bulgarian researchers into the European scientific space and the national programme to support publication activity.

Key development indicators

In order to track progress in the development of research infrastructure, the Government has developed clear indicators of success. These include:

1. An increase in the number of newly built or modernised infrastructures from 128 (as of 2018) to 50 additional facilities.
2. Creation of 20 regional innovation centres in regions at NUTS 2 level to overcome regional disparities. (NUTS 2 is part of the European classification of territorial units developed by Eurostat for collecting, comparing and analysing regional statistics in EU countries).
3. An increase in the number of European scientific infrastructure consortia with Bulgaria’s participation from 10 to 18.

These indicators are extremely important for achieving the set goals, as they help to ensure measurable and transparent control over the implementation of the programme.

Strategic projects for scientific infrastructures

This area focuses on key initiatives aimed at creating and updating infrastructure. Let us look in more detail at the main ones further.

1. Continuation of the implementation of the goals and measures of the National Roadmap for Scientific Infrastructure (NPKNI), within the framework of which key scientific infrastructures and consortia are defined and supported.
2. Creation or modernisation of unique scientific infrastructures of regional significance, as well as facilities of strategic economic and social significance, which correspond to the priorities of the Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation (ISIS) and are included in the European ESFRI network.
3. Balanced development of the country’s research potential through the creation of regional innovation centres in the planned regions at NUTS 2 level.
4. Encouraging the functioning and network interaction of established and modernised research centres to optimise results and effective coordination with regional innovation centres.
5. Support for the development of high-tech start-ups, technology transfer enterprises of the “spin-off/spin-out” type, innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and other organisations for cooperation and access to national and international scientific infrastructure.
6. Support for existing electronic infrastructures of horizontal importance, as well as the digitalisation of services of scientific centres and scientific infrastructures.
7. Construction and development of digital connectivity between scientific infrastructures, scientific organisations and higher education institutions to increase efficiency and expand opportunities for use.

Participation in European and international scientific infrastructures

The second key area is aimed at strengthening international cooperation. In particular, it is a priority to maintain and expand the membership of Bulgarian scientific institutions in large European consortia in the fields of biobanking, translational medicine, marine research, language resources, cultural heritage, visualisation diagnostics and others.

In addition, the Government of Bulgaria plans to create national networks for the functioning of consortia with the aim of membership in European consortia.

Finally, it is worth noting that the “Bulgaria 2030” strategy offers a comprehensive approach to the development of scientific infrastructure, combining national efforts with European integration. This will not only strengthen the country’s scientific potential, but will also contribute to economic growth and regional balance.

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