Varna Set to Join Bulgaria’s New Space Technology Priority

Varna Region is set to play a role in the new national priority Space Technologies and Dual-Use Technologies under Bulgaria’s updated Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation 2021–2027, the Varna Regional Information Centre (RIC) said on Wednesday.

The new area covers satellite systems, Earth observation, autonomous and unmanned systems, cybersecurity, maritime and space applications, and technologies with both civilian and defence uses. The update aims to align Bulgaria’s smart-specialisation priorities with rapid technological and economic change, evolving EU policies, and the growing importance of strategic autonomy and economic security. The draft strategy is open for public consultation until September 20, 2026, and its priorities are directly linked to access to European funding programmes, CE Report quotes BTA.

"Varna is well positioned to contribute, thanks to its strong maritime, scientific and defence capabilities, including the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, maritime clusters and an established R&D ecosystem", the RIC emphasized, adding that six organisations in the region are currently registered in this field. The RIC also pointed out that Bulgaria's Northeastern Region has 52,661 enterprises and generated nearly EUR 9 billion in output, according to 2020 data used in the strategy’s socio-economic analysis. It also maintains a positive trade balance, with EUR 2 billion in exports and EUR 1.7 billion in imports, driven largely by maritime activities, agri-food, chemical and manufacturing industries.

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