UK Science & Innovation Network in Bulgaria
The Science and Innovation Network (SIN) is based in more than 40 countries/territories around the world and has approximately 110 officers. We engage with the local science and innovation community in support of UK policy overseas and also create strategic relationships to harness the value of science and innovation discoveries and investments overseas, leading to mutual benefits to the UK and the host country.
The Network is part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which provide joint funding to promote international collaboration.
The work in Bulgaria aims to build and develop strategic bilateral relationships between local and UK Ministries, academic institutions and organisations with an interest in science and innovation, which lead to mutual benefits for the UK and Bulgaria. The British Embassy in Bulgaria has one Science and Innovation Officer, a position recently established. The UK is the 3rd most popular global collaborative partner for Bulgaria, after Germany and Spain and before Italy and France. SIN officer works in close cooperation with the British Council in Bulgaria, the Department of International Trade and other teams at the British Embassy in Sofia.
Science and Innovation in Bulgaria
SIN Bulgaria work to the following global objectives:
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influence science and innovation policies of Bulgarian government, industry and academia to benefit the UK
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improve UK policy based on international experience and emerging opportunities and challenges with Bulgaria
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stimulate strategic science collaborations with Bulgaria to benefit the UK and deliver wider policy goals
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harness Bulgaria international technology partnerships and investment to grow UK innovation capability
More information for the local Science and Innovation landscape and science collaboration between the UK and Bulgaria can be found in the UK Science and Innovation Network Country Snapshot.
Priorities
SIN officer pro-actively builds research and innovation opportunities for the UK scientific community and decision makers to enter into valuable partnerships with policy, academic and business counterparts in Bulgaria. Research and knowledge is increasingly developed and transferred through international collaborations which provides opportunities to work with the best in the world, exchange students and researchers, and gain access to research facilities, leading to mutual benefits for the UK and the host country. SIN Bulgaria focuses on the following strategic areas, which fit SIN priority sectors: Health and life sciences, and Future manufacturing. We do not have regular calls for project proposals and we aim to proactively seek out UK-Bulgarian collaborations in our strategic areas of interest, and to assess any potential projects that are suggested to us. We have good contacts with high-level stakeholders in Bulgaria and the UK and can assist in building strategic relationships also in other strategic areas of mutual interest. Some examples for recent projects include a science policy dialogue on the implications of Brexit on the UK-Bulgaria bilateral relationships and a Biotechnology workshop providing opportunity for business collaborations between the two countries.
Our people
Dr. Emilia Pecheva, Science and Innovation Officer for Romania and Bulgaria
Contact us
Science & Innovation Office
British Embassy Sofia
Moskovska 9
1000 Sofia
Tel. +359 (2) 9339 285 Mob. +359 (0) 887 443 559