Under the project’s motto “Together we create”, the event took place in the newly built multifunctional hall at the Centre’s Studentski Grad campus, in the presence of the Rector of the Technical University of Sofia, Prof. Georgi Venkov. The second stage of the project began in March 2025 and runs until December 2029.
Corresponding Member Prof. Georgi Todorov focused on the work planned for the second stage. He noted that the infrastructure is to be completed, the teams expanded and young scientists brought in, so that the research environment can grow into a scientific community that works together, shares and generates ideas, and that this in turn produces technological progress. Not least, these efforts must be directed towards industry and towards the global scientific community. At present the important measures of this work are world-class publications and innovations expressed in patents, utility models and implementation contracts with business organisations.
None of these factors should be underestimated, and for that reason pure science and innovation must be delivered through large projects and partnerships with leading universities, research centres and companies worldwide — something the Technical University of Sofia has long been doing.
On the new projects in the second stage, Prof. Todorov said that the Technical University of Sofia is taking part in a European project on microelectronics under the Chips Act programme, and that a number of others with industry are already under way, including in Italy and Germany, concerned with developing products and creating new technologies. There are also joint projects with the Centre’s partners: with the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy a major project on Bulgaria’s energy strategy is being carried out at the government’s request, the results of which will form the basis of the decarbonisation part of that strategy. With Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” the work is in the field of micro- and nanotechnologies. With the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Technical University of Sofia has a project that will bring a new class of batteries into real business use.
For the second stage of the project the Technical University of Sofia is counting on attracting young scientists. Five of the top graduates of their cohorts have stayed at the university as doctoral students, and some are already teaching assistants. Years ago, Prof. Todorov noted, it was unthinkable for the best students to remain at the university, because industry drew them away. In his view, young people today raise the level of education, because without good lecturers and without leading researchers there is no way to train world-class engineers.
