Sofia, 21 October 2025 — The Net-Zero Lab at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” organized a conference dedicated to accelerating the deployment of key low-carbon energy technologies in Bulgaria. The event brought together leading experts from academia, business, and government to discuss the challenges and potential of the country within the European energy innovation landscape.
During the event, Net-Zero Lab presented its latest report “Research and Innovation in Support of the Energy Transition: First Steps Toward a Sustainable, Digital, and Energy-Secure Bulgaria”, which compares the dynamics of the Bulgarian and European clean technology ecosystems and outlines the first strategic steps toward a faster energy transition.
Bulgaria: From Emerging Innovator to Energy Transition Enabler
Bulgaria remains among the EU’s “emerging innovators,” with one of the lowest levels of investment in research and innovation and limited cooperation between academia and industry. In 2023, public spending on R&D reached only 0.28% of GDP (compared to 0.72% EU average), while private investment accounted for 0.51% of GDP (vs. 1.49% EU average).
Despite these challenges, Bulgaria shows promising breakthroughs that position the country on Europe’s clean-tech map — including the opening of the first robotic factory for energy storage systems by International Power Supply (IPS), the development of digital energy management and storage platforms by Adex Energy, and the rapid growth of Bulgarian companies in IoT technologies and virtual power plants. Interest is also rising in data center sustainability, energy-efficient infrastructure, and demonstration projects for green fuels and hydrogen technologies.
These examples illustrate that Bulgarian companies are gradually integrating into European clean-tech value chains, despite regulatory and coordination barriers and the absence of a systematic national approach to innovation support.
Key Highlights from the Conference
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, emphasized the “vast untapped potential” of academic institutions to partner with business in advancing the green transition.
Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth Prof. Dr. Georgi Angelov highlighted the need for interdisciplinary energy policies that link scientific, economic, and social perspectives.
Dr. Maria Trifonova from Net-Zero Lab noted that one-third of global energy innovations originate in the EU, yet both Europe and Bulgaria still lag behind in implementation speed and access to funding.
Asen Zahariev, Head of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Energy, reaffirmed Bulgaria’s commitment to the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) as well as Ministry’s active work on its implementation. The objectives of the work are related to ensuring secure energy, affordable electricity prices and the availability of baseload capacity.
Researcher Remina Alexieva presented findings from a recent Net-Zero Lab survey showing that Bulgaria participates in only 4 of the 14 working groups under the SET Plan. Limited awareness and access to funding hinder broader participation of Bulgarian organizations in European initiatives, as showcased by the performed survey. Despite the presence of a Bulgarian European Commissioner for Research, the country’s participation in European platforms and partnerships remains fragmented and without targeted funding, relying mainly on the initiative of individual experts and scientists.
Karina Angelieva, Board Member of the Bulgarian Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Energy Storage Association, underlined the need for a national “one-stop shop” for strategic energy technologies, providing consolidated information on funding, partnerships, and regulatory frameworks.
Prof. Henrik Madsen from the Technical University of Denmark spoke about the importance of flexibility and digital hubs for integrating data centers into smart energy systems. Prof. Daria Vladikova from Trakia University presented the H2Start hydrogen valley project in Stara Zagora, envisioning the region as a future center of hydrogen innovation in Bulgaria.
Dinna Temelkova, CEO of Telelink Infra Services, and Ivaylo Georgiev, Head of Sustainability and Institutional Relations at Aurubis Bulgaria, shared how their companies apply innovative, low-carbon approaches to achieve sustainability and competitiveness.
Towards a New National Innovation Framework
Speakers agreed that Bulgaria needs a renewed and comprehensive national framework for research and innovation in the energy sector, ensuring stronger coordination between national priorities and evolving European policies. This includes alignment with the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan), the Net-Zero Industry Act, and the New European Innovation Agenda.