Science and technology in Bulgaria

Spending on research and development is low, amounting to 0.78% of GDP,[1] and the bulk of public R&D funding goes to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).

[3] The same year, Bulgaria ranked 39th out of 50 countries in the Bloomberg Innovation Index, the highest score being in education (24th) and the lowest in value-added manufacturing (48th).

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

[8] Three per cent of economic output is generated by the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector where 40,000[9] to 51,000 software engineers are employed.

The Institute of Computer and Communication Systems at BAS operates Avitohol, the most powerful supercomputer in Southeast Europe.

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.

Commercial power generation from its two VVER-1000 units is supported by a diverse research, education and engineering capacity spread among several institutions.

It is currently building the largest particle accelerator in Southeast Europe, a cyclotron that is expected to produce up to 25,000 doses for radiotherapy once completed.

Several smaller "public observatories" with planetaria, focused on educational and outreach activities, are located in various towns across the country.

A significant expansion worth $42 million was completed in 2017, expanding staff to 1,300 engineers and mechanics, adding a new multi-purpose building, hangar and workshops, and increasing capacity to eight production and servicing lines.

[45] A few companies like Niki Rotor Aviation and Aeroplanes DAR form a small manufacturing industry, producing ultralight aircraft in limited numbers.

Captain Simeon Petrov of the Bulgarian Air Force invented the world's first purpose-built air-to-surface bomb, which included innovations such as an aerodynamically stabilizing x-tail and an impact detonator.

Some of the expeditions resulted in the publishing in 2009 of a comprehensive topographic map, including Greenwich, Snow, Robert and Smith islands.