Project „Building and development of Center of Excellence “Heritage BG”

Institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences are beneficiaries of the project BG05M2OP001-1.001-0001 “Building and Development of Center of Excellence “Heritage BG” under the “Science and Education for Smart Growth” Operational Program, Priority Axis 1 “Research and Technological Development”, Procedure BG05M2OP001-1.001 “Building and Development of Excellence Centers”, Component 4 “New Technologies in Creative and Recreational Industries”.

The leading institution for the implementation of the project is Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, in partnership with eleven scientific, educational and cultural organizations. These are the Technical University of Sofia (TU), the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACG), the National Sports Academy “Vasil Levski” (NSA), the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NIGGG), the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IEFEM), the Institute of Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IAS), the Institute of Literature (IL) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Center at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (CMRC), the Institute for Balkan Studies with Center for Thracology “Prof. Alexander Fol” at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBCT), the National (St. Cyril and Methodius) Library and the Regional Historical Museum in Sofia (RHM).

The project, amounting to BGN 29 785 549,49, was launched on 28.02.2018 with a deadline of 70 months.

The main objective is to build a modern infrastructure for research and innovation in the creative and recreational industries (Center of Excellence “Heritage BG”) which will involve integrated teams for interdisciplinary research, policies and practices. Efforts will also be made to establish contacts with similar European teams, for joint activities and participation in competitions.

The expected result is creating conditions for developing advanced technologies and developing market-oriented research. A distributed research system is envisaged with network connectivity between project modules, alternative communication channels, state-of-the-art research and development, economic, social and environmental contributions through dissemination and knowledge transfer.

The Heritage BG Center of Excellence will be a modern research complex focused on fundamental, applied and experimental research as well as on development. The results of its activities will be accessible via an online portal (text, audio, video, virtual reality products, etc.) and the products and services developed (in several languages) will be disseminated among schools, chitalishta (community centers), associations of different societies in Bulgaria and abroad, businesses, especially in the creative and recreational industries.