Science and technology in Bulgaria

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Science and technology in Bulgaria is carried out in a variety of institutions, largely dominated by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and several universities.

Dome of the 2-meter RCC telescope at Rozhen Observatory, the largest optical telescope on the Balkans

Overview

Spending on

Bloomberg Innovation Index, the highest score being in education (24th) and the lowest in value-added manufacturing (48th).[4] By 2020, Bulgaria ranked 42nd, but with an increase in value-added manufacturing to 33rd.[5]
Bulgaria was ranked 38th in the Global Innovation Index in 2023.[6]

Chronic government underinvestment in research since 1990 has forced many professionals in science and engineering to leave Bulgaria.[7] Despite the lack of funding, research in chemistry, materials science and physics remains strong.[2]

High levels of female participation in science and engineering, a legacy of the Socialist era, are characteristic for all fields of research.[8]

Fields of research

ICT

Three per cent of economic output is generated by the

Pravetz computers
were the principal mass computer series designed and manufactured in Bulgaria at the time.

Bulgaria is also a regional leader in high performance computing. The Institute of Computer and Communication Systems at BAS operates Avitohol, the most powerful supercomputer in Southeast Europe. Four smaller supercomputing clusters that do not represent true supercomputers operate in Sofia: an unnamed machine at BAS, PHYSON at Sofia University's Faculty of Physics, Madara at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at BAS, and Nestum at Sofia Tech Park. An IBM Blue Gene/P at the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications ceased operations in 2015.[13] A new supercomputer, the Discoverer, was installed in 2021 and ranked 91st in the TOP500 in 2021.[14]

Physics

crystal formation and crystal growth. The results of his work on crystal structure and behaviour have had wide application in the areas of physical chemistry, metallurgy and mining. Georgi Nadjakov was among Bulgaria's top physicists, and became known for his experiments on the photoelectric effect and most notably, the discovery of photoelectrets. Nadjakov's discoveries are now widely employed in photocopier
machines.

Bulgaria is an active member of CERN and has contributed to its activities with nearly 200 scientists since its accession in 1999.[15][16] Bulgarian scientists took part in the L3 experiment of the Large Electron–Positron Collider in the 1980s.[17]

Medicine

A domestic

Generic drugs form the backbone of the industry, although innovative drugs make up 75% of the market in terms of value. There is a well-developed drug research base in hospitals along with highly qualified researchers and drug manufacturing by EU standards, but poor funding and limited experience in early stage clinical trials are a weakness.[20] Sopharma AD
has been a leader in pharmaceutical research since the 1950s.

Dr. Georgi Stranski University Hospital in Pleven was the first hospital to implement the Da Vinci Surgical System in the country and operates two systems.[21] Two other hospitals in Sofia, Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital and Doverie, each operate one Da Vinci system.[22] The total number of the systems in Bulgaria was 8 in 2021.[23]

Nuclear energy

Main article: Nuclear power in Bulgaria

Bulgaria began studying nuclear energy for power generation as early as 1956.

Technical University of Sofia train engineers at the Nuclear Engineering and Thermal and Nuclear Power departments, respectively.[26][27]

The

radiotherapy once completed. Equipment was delivered in 2016, but a new building for the center is yet to be constructed.[28] INRNE also owns an IRT-2000 research reactor that achieved first criticality in 1961, but has been shut down in 1999 and awaiting reconstruction since then.[29]

Until 1992, when the government of

Filip Dimitrov ordered an end to uranium mining, Bulgaria was extracting 645 tonnes of uranium annually, and produced yellowcake. The material was shipped to the USSR for processing, and then returned to Bulgaria as fuel for the Kozloduy power plant.[30]

Space exploration

See also: Bulgarian cosmonaut program
Aleksandar Aleksandrov

Bulgaria has made numerous contributions to

algorithms for both Vega probes. The supercomputer developed by IZOT for the mission was later used by the Soviet Union for nuclear fusion simulations.[35][36]

Bulgarian instruments have been used in the

ExoMars TGO.[37] RADOM-7, an instrument of the Liulin class, has been fitted to the Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe, while other versions of the Liulin operate on the International Space Station.[38][39] Bulgaria's first geostationary communications satellite—BulgariaSat-1—was launched by SpaceX in June 2017.[40] Endurosat One became the first Bulgarian CubeSat
to be inserted into orbit in July 2018.

The

Southeastern Europe, the Belogradchik Observatory and the Shumen University Observatory[41] are Bulgaria's main astronomical observatories. Several smaller "public observatories" with planetaria, focused on educational and outreach activities, are located in various towns across the country. Astronomer Georgi Mandushev headed the team of scientists, which discovered TrES-4b.[42][43]

Aviation

Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Embraer-series aircraft.[45] A few companies like Niki Rotor Aviation and Aeroplanes DAR form a small manufacturing industry, producing ultralight aircraft
in limited numbers.

a full-scale war (in 1912).[46]

Antarctic exploration

Main articles: Tangra 2004/05 and St. Kliment Ohridski Base

Since the 1980s, Bulgaria maintains an active exploration program of the Antarctic region. Following an unsuccessful landing attempt at Cape Vostok on the northwestern extremity of Alexander Island, two prefabricated huts were assembled on Livingston Island between 26 and 29 April 1988 by a four-member Bulgarian party supported logistically by the Soviet Research Ship Mikhail Somov. The facilities were later refurbished and inaugurated as a permanent base on 11 December 1993. An expansion programme at St. Kliment Ohridski including the construction of a new multi-purpose building was carried out between 1996 and 1998 and subsequently.

Some of the expeditions resulted in the publishing in 2009 of a comprehensive topographic map, including

Robert and Smith
islands.

See also

  • Az Buki

References

  1. ^ NSI Brochure 2018, p. 19.
  2. ^ a b "EU Presidency Puts Lagging Bulgarian Science in the Spotlight". Novinite. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  3. ^ "R&D Spending in Bulgaria Up in 2015, Mostly Driven by Businesses". Novinite. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  4. ^ "The 2015 Bloomberg Innovation Index". Bloomberg. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Bloomberg Innovation Index 2020". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. ^ WIPO. "Global Innovation Index 2023, 15th Edition". www.wipo.int. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  7. ^ Shopov, V. (2007). "The impact of the European scientific area on the 'Brain leaking' problem in the Balkan countries". Nauka (1/2007).
  8. ^ Hope, Kerin (9 March 2018). "Bulgaria builds on legacy of female engineering elite". The Financial Times. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  9. ^ Hope, Kerin (17 October 2016). "Bulgaria strives to become tech capital of the Balkans". The Financial Times. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Bulgaria's ICT Sector Turnover Trebled over Last Seven Years – Deputy Economy Minister". Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Girls and women under-represented in ICT". Eurostat. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  12. ^ McMullin, David (2 October 2003). "The Great Bulgarian BrainDrain". Delft Technical University. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  13. ^ Zapryanov, Yoan (22 June 2018). "Малката изчислителна армия на България" [Bulgaria's small computing army] (in Bulgarian). Kapital Daily. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Consortium Petascale Supercomputer Bulgaria". TOP500.
  15. ^ "Bulgaria is CERN's 20th Member State". CERN press office. 18 June 1999. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  16. ^ "199 български учители посетили CERN". BNews. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  17. ^ "International Relations - Bulgaria". CERN. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  18. PMID 15137996
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  19. S2CID 250305879
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  20. ^ "Bulgaria – Pharmaceuticals". International Trade Administration. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Medical University in Pleven Implements 2-nd Da Vinci Robot". Novinite. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  22. ^ "Hospitals argue how Da Vinci robots should be used". Kapital Daily. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Робот DaVinci вече в УМБАЛ "Софиямед"". 24 chasa. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Nuclear Power in Bulgaria". World-nuclear.org. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  25. ^ NSI Brochure 2018, p. 47.
  26. ^ "About the Department". Sofia University. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Thermal and Nuclear Power Department". Technical University of Sofia. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  28. ^ "Bulgaria Receives Equipment to Build the Balkans' Biggest Particles Accelerator for Nuclear Medicine". Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  29. ^ "Research Reactor". Nuclear Oversight Agency. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  30. ^ "Uranium production in Bulgaria". Darik News. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  31. ^
    ISBN 978-3-319-24161-6
    .
  32. ^ "Cosmonauts Eager, Hopeful for Reboot of Bulgaria's Space Program". Novinite. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  33. PMID 11541596
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  34. ^
    ISBN 978-0-387-78904-0
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  35. ISBN 9789545288456
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  36. ISBN 978-3-319-19568-1
    . Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  37. ISSN 1310-1331
    . Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  38. ^ "Radiation Dose Monitor Experiment (RADOM)". ISRO. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  39. PMID 21177270
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  40. ^ "BulgariaSat-1 Mission". SpaceX. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  41. ^ "New summer centre with astronomical observatory unveiled at Shumen Plateau". Darik News. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  42. S2CID 6087170
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  43. S2CID 9893376
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  44. ^ "Lufthansa Technik Now Operates Eight Production Lines in Bulgaria". Investor. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  45. ^ "Bulgaria: Lufthansa Technik announces large expansion in Sofia". The Sofia Globe. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  46. ^ "A Brief History of Air Force Scientific and Technical Intelligence". airforcehistory.hq.af.mil. 30 December 2008. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
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