A round table on 22 October 2021 marked the end of the Seventeenth International Scientific Conference “Space-Ecology-Safety SES 2021” at the Space Research and Technology Institute (SRTI) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).
The theme of the round table was “Upcoming signing of the new treaty between the Republic of Bulgaria and the European Space Agency (ESA)”. The round table was attended by the Director of the “Economic Policy” Directorate in the Ministry of Economy Jeliaz Enev, the Director of SRTI-BAS Prof. Georgi Jelev, representatives of the Interdepartmental Commission and representatives of the scientific community. Moderators of the round table were Corr. Mem. Prof. Peter Getsov and Mr. Kamen Iliev, Director of the Technology Transfer Office at SRTI-BAS. The efforts of the state to sign the ESA Associate Membership Agreement will contribute to the development of Bulgarian science and industry in space research and technology.
Since 2015, Bulgaria has been a member of the ESA European Cooperating States Programme with six calls for tender, 97 projects submitted, 36 projects approved, most of them from institutes of BAS and universities. A National Strategic Vision Document for the development of the space sector is to be developed.
So far we have done a lot, said corresponding member Prof. Peter Getsov, but now we are entering the pragmatic space period and in this sense our desire for associate membership in ESA is real and justified. The ambitious perspective is to do so by the end of 2022.
