site.btaCentre for Innovations in Defence to Run Competition for Development of Drones

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev said during a briefing at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday that the Centre for Innovations in Defence will run a competition in the autumn for the development of several types of drones. Bulgarian companies, engineers, developers, universities, and institutes will be able to participate in the competition, after the Ministry of Defence provides the necessary specifications.

The teams that come up with the most promising products with the best specs will receive funding to produce several hundred units, which will undergo testing by the Bulgarian Armed Forces, before larger batches are ordered. Donchev reported that the procedure has been deliberately designed to awaken technical and innovative potential, rather than just attracting established suppliers. He said that the Bulgarian Armed Forced should cooperate with Bulgarian industry, whose potential is unfamiliar to the public. He said that this is the only way to ensure that the investments worth billions that will go to the armed forces in the coming years will benefit the national economy and innovations, as is already common in "smart" countries.

The Minister pointed out that the Centre for Innovations in Defence was established by the Council of Ministers as part of Sofia Tech Park in order to serve as a connection between the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, but above all, to serve as a conduit between Bulgarian industry, the armed forces, and Bulgarian science.