Hydrogen was one of the key topics at the “Strategic Energy Technologies” conference organized by Net-Zero Lab at the Faculty of Economics, Sofia University. The event gathered leading experts, institutional representatives, researchers and industry to map out a roadmap for innovation in energy technologies and to showcase successful Bulgarian examples.
Prof. Georgi Angelov, Deputy Minister of Innovations and Growth, said the ministry is actively working to develop hydrogen technologies in Bulgaria, which have the potential to modernize multiple sectors. He stressed that this will position Bulgaria as an important participant in the wider energy system — not only as an energy exporter but also as a hub for technology development and application. He also highlighted Centres of Excellence as places where technologies can be matured in cooperation with industry – notably the H2START Centre in Stara Zagora, presented by Prof. Daria Vladikova, H2START’s scientific coordinator.
“We share a common cause – to promote innovation and energy technologies,” said Karina Angelieva, a member of the BGH2A Management Board. She noted that the new SET-Plan report provides a practice-oriented focus and referenced a recent Move.bg study on green innovation in Bulgaria that includes concrete recommendations. Angelieva emphasized that academia and the NGO sector have an important role to play in collecting and analyzing data to support policymaking.
She also warned that the current investment landscape for innovation is limited and called for ambitious national co-financing commitments for programmes such as Horizon Europe – which directly affect the total volume of funding for research and innovation that Bulgaria can attract.
