Bulgaria to invest 28.5 mln euro in research centres upgrade

The funds will be deployed for the purchase of specialised equipment enabling research and measurements to be performed according to global standards, the government said in a media statement on Thursday.

The eligible centres are part of Bulgaria's National Roadmap for Research Infrastructure for 2021-2027, with EU funding provided under the Science and Education for Smart Growth operational programme. The roadmap aims to retain highly qualified people in the country, attract young scientists and stimulate international scientific cooperation.

The roadmap lists 51 infrastructure sites at different stages of development, including 15 centres of competence and centres of excellence. Some of them are Sofia Tech Park's laboratory complex, the National University Complex for Biomedical and Applied Research, the Bulgarian observation station of the pan-European, low-frequency array (LOFAR) radio telescope and the Infrastructure for Sustainable Development of Marine Research (MASRI).

The goal of improving research infrastructure is to make it easier for Bulgarian scientists and innovative companies to take part in the EU's Horizon Europe programme and to attract scientists from third countries, according to the roadmap document.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)