On September 16, 2026, a specialized seminar was held as part of the National Scientific Program “Security and Defense,” organized by the Center for National Security and Defense Research (CNSDR-BAS) in collaboration with the Unified Innovation Center of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).

The seminar focused on opportunities for cooperation and collaboration in the fields of defense and high technology, attracting significant interest from representatives of Bulgarian scientific organizations, universities, defense industry enterprises, and innovative companies.

The seminar was opened by Mr. Kamen Iliev, Director of CNSDR-BAS, who highlighted the event’s importance in deepening cooperation between BAS institutes and international high-tech companies regarding knowledge and technology transfer in the spheres of defense, national security, and industry.

Dr. Marin Pandev, Director of the BAS Unified Innovation Center, welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of international partnerships and technology transfer for enhancing the competitiveness of Bulgarian science, the defense industry, and national security.

A special guest and speaker at the event was Mr. Joseph Marra, Business Development Director at the Belgian engineering company GDTech. In his presentation, he showcased the extensive experience of the company—which employs a team of nearly 250 specialists—in the design, modeling, and implementation of products for the defense industry. Highlights of GDTech’s presentation included advanced software simulations of ballistic impacts and explosions, drone development and optimization, optical and acoustic calculations, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into customized software solutions.

The second part of the seminar focused on practical steps for forming consortia and jointly participating in projects under the European Defence Fund (EDF). Specific mechanisms were discussed enabling scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) to participate in upcoming calls for proposals alongside leading representatives of the European defense industry.

This event marks the first practical step toward uniting the efforts of the BAS Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CINSO) and the BAS European Center for Innovation (ECI) to collaborate on integrating innovations and technology transfer in the fields of defense and security, and to build bridges between Bulgarian science, innovative Bulgarian companies, and leading European technology firms in order to strengthen business cooperation.