site.btaMinister Tsokov: Education Ministry Will Continue to Invest in Scientific Infrastructure, Innovation

Addressing the 4th Science and Business Forum, caretaker Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov reaffirmed the determination of him ministry to continue to invest in scientific infrastructure, in national human potential, in specific research and innovation programmes, and to support international cooperation in these areas.

Bulgaria has identified cooperation between science and business, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, as one of the key challenges and one of the key opportunities. The main objectives of the Ministry of Education continue to be developing and modernizing the research system, increasing public confidence in science, attracting and retaining young and leading scientists in Bulgaria, the Education Minister said.

According to him, scientific infrastructure is the main pillar of national research innovation systems, and Bulgaria's National Science Infrastructure Roadmap is a key tool for building state-of-the-art scientific facilities and for conducting competitive research at the highest international level.

The new law on the promotion of research and innovation introduces a legal framework for sustainable planning of national instruments and measures to support scientific excellence and applied research for the benefit of the economy, and to build the European Research Area, Minister Tsokov said in his address.

Prof. Tsokov reports that the two thematic programmes financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds have been successfully launched - the "Education" programme, designed to increase the entrepreneurial skills of students and the usefulness of student internships, according to the demand of the labour market; and the "Research, Innovation and Digitalization for Smart Transformation" programme, which addresses the recommendations of the World Bank and the EU Joint Research Centre to increase the intensity of research and innovation, and to improve the link between academia and business.