site.btaUPDATED New Building of Sofia University's Clean&Circle Centre of Competence Inaugurated

A new building of the Clean&Circle Centre of Competence was inaugurated on Thursday. The construction of the building at the Lozenets campus of the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia is the culmination of a project worth more than BGN 23 million.

The formal event included ribbon-cutting by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and the University Rector, Prof. Georgi Valchev, addresses by the official guests and a water blessing.

The new building of the Clean&Circle Centre of Competence, established under the Clean Technologies for a Sustainable Environment - Water, Waste, Energy for a Circular Economy project, funded by Operational Programme Science and Education for Smart Growth, will house laboratories and equipment. It will allow Bulgarian scientists to carry out world-class research.

The equipment places the centre at the forefront of the development of clean technologies, a circular economy and a bioeconomy on a national and European scale. The centre was designated Best Innovation Ecosystem of the Year at the prestigious Triple Helix competition earlier in 2023.

The partners in the project are Sofia University, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, the University of Forestry, Burgas State University and Cleantech Bulgaria.

The new building will be owned by Sofia University, making it the latest and most significant expansion of its facilities on the eve of the 135th anniversary of the oldest university.

The possible transfer of technology from science to the real economy is an important part of the Centre's work. The building will provide meeting areas for researchers and business representatives in addition to the many laboratories.