Bulgarian Delegation Visits ELI ERIC

On 9 November 2021, a Bulgarian delegation including representatives from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science as well as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences visited ELI ERIC at the ELI Beamlines facility in Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic Bulgaria is as a Founding Observer in the ELI ERIC and strengthening the collaboration between ELI ERIC and the Bulgarian community is of outmost importance for both sides. The purpose of the day-long meeting was to identify and discuss potential opportunities for cooperation.

The programme featured presentations by both the Bulgarian guests, as well as by ELI ERIC and the ELI ERIC facilities. While Director General of ELI ERIC, Allen Weeks, gave an overview of the ERIC status, both facilities, ELI Beamlines, represented by ELI Beamlines Director, Roman Hvězda, and ELI ALPS represented by ELI ALPS Science Director, Katalin Varjú, gave introductory presentations and updates of each respective facilities. Director of the Science Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, Dr. Milena Damyanova, presented the Bulgarian strategy for research infrastructures, past participation in the ELI project and composition of the Bulgarian consortium for ELI. An overview of the scientific activities of the national Bulgarian consortium for ELI was outlined by Prof. Lubomir Kovachev and Prof. Todor Petrov of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

“Bulgarian membership in ELI ERIC represents a great opportunity for Bulgarian scientists, in particular for young scientists”, says Director of the Science Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, Dr. Milena Damyanova. “There is very strong interest from the Bulgarian scientific community and we look forward to finding areas for collaboration.”

The Bulgarian Science Directorate of the Ministry of Education and Science implements the national policy in the field of science, technological development and innovation by way of the national research development strategy and the national road map for research infrastructures. The projects included in the Bulgarian national roadmap for research infrastructures, among others ELI ERIC, are of key importance to promote excellence, knowledge transfer and the internationalisation of Bulgarian research with a priority of strengthening open science and civil science in Europe with the goal of contributing to the building of a knowledge-based society.

As a next step, an ELI ERIC information day in Bulgaria is foreseen for Spring 2022.