site.btaCooperation between Industry, Academia, Military Is Essential, Caretaker Innovation Minister Says at NATO Innovation Continuum 2026

Caretaker Minister of Innovation and Growth Irena Mladenova, speaking at the Innovation Continuum 2026 forum organized by NATO Allied Command Transformation at the GATE Institute with the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, said that defence innovation is an important priority and that strong cooperation between industry, academia, and the military is essential, the press centre of the Innovation and Growth Ministry announced on Tuesday.

In her remarks, Mladenova described startups as a key partner in security, noting that many of today’s most innovative technologies are being developed by small, agile teams.

"Defence innovation and connecting industry and research communities with our partners is a priority, which is why I welcome any ideas and proposals on how we can further develop this. So far, we have implemented some initiatives, and I hope we can find ways to expand and build on them," Mladenova said.

She cited the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), in which Bulgaria participates actively, as an example. "As a NATO ally, we believe these efforts will make us stronger," Mladenova added.

According to her, institutions must move faster, at the pace of innovators. "We need clear pathways that connect funding, testing, regulation, and deployment into a single, streamlined process," she said.

Mladenova highlighted the newly established Defence Innovation Centre at Sofia Tech Park, aimed at developing prototypes and testing new technologies. She further noted the Centre of Excellence in Kazanlak, which focuses on producing dual-use technologies serving both defence and civilian needs. She added that innovation can drive the country’s economy to the next level.

The SPARK phase of NATO’s Innovation Continuum is attended by representatives of the GATE Institute, NATO, technology companies and startups, research institutes, universities, innovation hubs. During the forum, the Institute will also publicly present the Ally1 smart platform for accelerating dual-use technologies.