The project's objective is the establishment of a new type of national Center of Excellence in Mechatronics and Clean Technologies, which will mobilize the scientific and research potential to achieve a qualitatively new level of knowledge in several mutually overlapping economic segments: mechanics, robotics, energy efficiency, sustainable use of raw materials and resources, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Coordinator of the project is the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The Center is structured on the principle of "complementarity-synergy" and brings together leading scientific groups from BAS institutes (12 in total) and higher education institutions: Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", TU-Sofia, TU-Varna, TU-Gabrovo, and HTMU-Sofia. The role of each partner organization is to coordinate, organize, and conduct independent scientific and research activities in the field of mechatronics and clean technologies.
To foster closer ties with business, the Mechatronics Cluster, Borima EAD, and the Association for Scientific Research and Development have been engaged as associated partners based on a publicly announced competition. To ensure a higher scientific level for the Center, structures from world-renowned universities (Tel Aviv, Berlin, and Delft) and the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, have again been engaged as associated partners through a public announcement.
Plan The scientific research activities under the project have been formulated with the aim of ensuring the establishment, operation, development, and transformation of the Center into a leading national and competitively strong European scientific structure within a 10-year period. In this way, the project will add value to the implementation of Bulgaria's program for sustainable and intelligent economic growth.
Within the Center, the construction of specific infrastructure is planned, including the creation of three unique equipment complexes for the country: the "TU" Complex – specialized in mechatronics, the "Lozenets" Complex – primarily focused on clean technologies, and the "G. Milev" Complex – covering the fields of mechatronics and clean technologies. The new type of infrastructure will enrich and deepen research in the fields of mechatronics and clean technologies, but will also help form competitive and interdisciplinary scientific research teams capable of successfully participating in other programs and competitions.
The Scientific Program aims to develop specific scientific methods and tools for achieving intelligent design, planning, and operation of material resources, energy systems, and mechatronic components. It is structured within four work packages (WP), each of which is thematically oriented in sync with the priority areas of ISIS:
- WP1. Computer modeling and development of technologies and new materials for engineering and reengineering;
- WP2. Electronic, optical, sensor, and bio-mechatronic systems and technologies;
- WP3. Mechatronic systems and technologies;
- WP4. Clean energy and green technologies.
The topics are selected to follow the entire economic cycle: from high-tech production, through resource-efficient production, to the introduction of a low-carbon economy. Conducting these activities is necessary to establish the scientific research foundation in Bulgaria for accelerating its transition from the group of 'timid innovators' to the group of 'moderate innovators' - a strategic goal of Bulgaria to address societal challenges.
More informationabout the project can be obtained from here.
