site.btaDeputy Prime Minister Donchev: Bulgaria to Invest Up to BGN 35 Mln in National Satellite Capacity

Bulgaria is set to invest up to BGN 35 million over the next two years in developing its own satellite capacity, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev told reporters on Tuesday.

The investment will fund low Earth orbit satellites that will be used by various government institutions, including the Ministry of Environment and Water, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Defense.

The main goal of the satellite system is to enable territorial monitoring and surveillance, helping the country respond more effectively to natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and pollution, as well as to support national security efforts.

Donchev emphasized that this is a first step toward establishing a Bulgarian Space Agency, a longer-term objective.

"This is by no means a megalomaniac project," he said. "We are talking about a modest ground control center to process all incoming data, with a structured hierarchy and access rights. Security agencies will have full access, while other institutions will have access based on their operational needs," he explained.

The project is expected to be officially announced this fall, with implementation continuing over the next two years.

In response to a question from BTA, Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev said there is a possibility that neighboring countries may be invited to participate in the project, along with European institutions in the field of information exchange.

"This, by definition, is not a solo national effort, it was time for something like this to happen," Donchev emphasized.

He concluded by saying that the government will rely on existing national expertise, including the private sector, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and technical universities to support the development and operation of the satellite capacity.