This Policy Support Facility (PSF) exercise responded to the August 2023 request from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) to DG Research and Innovation for an independent review of the research and innovation (R&I) policy in Bulgaria in order to address shortcomings in its national science ecosystem. The need for, and the purpose of the assignment was embedded in the challenges faced by Bulgaria’s public research system due to fragmentation of its research capabilities.
The main objective of the PSF review is to assess the Bulgarian scientific ecosystem with the aim of identifying the policy levers to be used and concrete recommendations (policy and implementation schemes) to consolidate resources in this ecosystem. The review will support the Bulgarian authorities in their efforts to design and implement related structural reforms in the national Bulgarian research and innovation system.
The assignment has three focus areas:
• Focus area 1: Concrete recommendations on how to consolidate actors in the R&I ecosystem, including a suggested approach for them to adapt their forms of governance. These forms of governance should take into account the respective strengths of the higher education institutions (HEIs) and research organisations, their various components and shared resources (such as faculties or their equivalents, which are located on different campuses).
• Focus area 2: Regulatory and financial measures to encourage HEIs and research organisations working in analogue research areas to merge into larger, universal and decentralised institutions.
• Focus area 3: Suggested approach to consolidating different institutes of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, allowing to maximise the research output of the Academy and its impact on the economy and society.
The PSF for Bulgaria will start with a kick-off in May 2024 and will run for the rest of 2024. The team involves a panel of five independent experts as well as additional support experts. Experts from EFIS Centre contributed to this exercise in the roles of Analytic Support Expert and Senior Expert for Quality Review.
