site.btaBulgaria Is Building Environment Where Scientific Research Reaches Business and Society, Caretaker Innovation Minister Mladenova Says

Caretaker Minister of Innovation and Growth Irena Mladenova said Bulgaria is working to create an environment where scientific achievements move beyond academic publications and reach businesses and society. Mladenova spoke at the opening of the Third International Annual Conference under the SUMMIT project, held at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia on Tuesday, as quoted by her ministry’s press service.

“The future belongs to economies that can turn knowledge into value. That is why investment in science, innovation, and technology transfer is an investment in Bulgaria’s long-term competitiveness,” Mladenova said.

She explained that projects like SUMMIT demonstrate Bulgaria’s potential to be an active participant in the European research and innovation ecosystem, not only as a generator of knowledge, but also of practical solutions.

Mladenova pointed out that Europe’s challenge lies less in creating knowledge and more in applying it, while the EU continues to invest less in research and development than the United States and China. In Bulgaria, she added, R&D spending remains below 1% of GDP, public funding for science is critically low, and the share of high-tech companies and innovative start-ups is limited. The commercialization of scientific results, she said, still falls short of the country’s full potential.

To address this, the ministry is establishing a Technology Transfer Fund worth over EUR 60 million under the “Research, Innovation and Digitalization for Smart Transformation” programme. The fund will support spin-offs, high-tech start-ups, and the commercialization of research. In parallel, a national technology transfer hub with branches in universities across the country is being developed to improve coordination and deliver tangible results.

“Our goal is clear – to create an environment where scientific achievements are transformed into products, technologies, and solutions that benefit business and society,” Mladenova emphasized.

The event was also attended by Deputy Education and Science Minister Acad. Nikolay Vitanov, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova, and the Rector of Sofia University, Prof. Georgi Valchev, among others.