National Map of Intellectual Property

site.btaBulgaria Doesn't Invest Enough in Innovations, State Should Play Greater Role, President Radev Says

Bulgaria Doesn't Invest Enough in Innovations, State Should Play Greater Role, President Radev Says
Bulgaria Doesn't Invest Enough in Innovations, State Should Play Greater Role, President Radev Says
President Rumen Radev at the National Map of Intellectual Property presentation at the University of National and World Economy, Sofia, April 30, 2025 (BTA Photo/Vladimir Shokov)

A presentation of the first-of-its-kind National Map of Intellectual Property in the Republic of Bulgaria was held at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) here on Wednesday. Bulgaria is among "the timid innovators, we are not investing enough," President Rumen Radev said at the intellectual property forum. "Science, inventions, innovations, technology transfer are the driving force of progress and enable the country to move forward. All applications for patents, for inventions, trademarks, are an expression of the ambition of a nation what place it will occupy on the geopolitical map of innovations. This activity must become a national priority," the head of State said.

The President recalled that four years ago, in cooperation with the Bulgarian Patent Office, a 40-year-old tradition had been restored. The Golden Book opened once a year to add all Bulgarian inventors and innovators. He added that two years ago, the President of the European Patent Office had visited Bulgaria at Radev’s invitation and that during the talks, he had been acquainted with the development of intellectual property and technology transfer in Bulgaria, and what support the European Patent Office could offer Bulgaria to develop faster.

Rumen Radev was the only head of state to attend the conference on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the European Patent Convention, which was held at the headquarters of the European Patent Office in Munich last year.

The President noted that "in order to manage any process, one needs reliable, timely and accurate information.

The President expressed satisfaction with the results achieved, because they provide an opportunity for strategic vision and operational decisions. He described the conclusions made as "very serious". "We are among the timid innovators, we are not investing enough. We invest three times less in research and development than the EU average. We should be grateful to business for striving to fill the gap and invest instead of the State," Radev pointed out. According to him, the State should play a greater role as an investor.

The President underscored that he was particularly concerned about the deep stratification between Sofia and all other municipalities. Another worrying phenomenon, according to Radev, was the fact that universities have too few applications and results. In addition, they were submitted by only two-thirds of higher education institutions in Bulgaria, he added. "We need to strengthen the focus on studying entrepreneurship and creative thinking while still in school," Radev said.

He described the provided recommendations as interesting, but the recommendation that the State should determine the spheres of the economy with intensive production is a problem, because Bulgaria is a market economy, the President added. The State cannot definitively determine what to develop as a priority, the President pointed out. According to him, a balance must be found between the free initiative of business and what the State can administratively define as important.

Rumen Radev lauded the team behind the National Map of Intellectual Property in the Republic of Bulgaria for the initiative, because it shows ​​the ecosystem of Bulgaria in the field of innovations. "What we have is a very important tool, for strategic overview, for making operational decisions, and I hope that from now on it will continuously be updated in real time," the President said.

/MY/

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By 16:45 on 01.05.2025 Today`s news

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