The 16th meeting of the General Assembly of the “Extreme Light” European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ELI ERIC) was opened by the President of BAS, Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva. The accession of our country as a full member of ELI ERIC is a significant step, Corr. Memb. Slavcheva said and stressed that this reflected the ambition to be an active participant in building the scientific potential of Europe in the field of laser technologies. The meeting was also attended by Acad. Nikola Sabotinov (Chairman of BAS 2008-2012) who had invented the world’s first copper bromide vapour laser. His contribution is not only a part of the history of the Academy but also occupies an important place in the global development of laser science, Corr. Memb. Slavcheva noted.
During the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth Prof. Georgi Angelov and the Advisor to the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Kostadin Kostadinov expressed their satisfaction with Bulgaria’s full membership in this large-scale European consortium which allowed it to conduct advanced research, promoted the development of fruitful international collaborations and strengthened the ties between science and business.
The two-day forum is taking place at the “Acad. Ivan E. Geshov” Hall of BAS with the participation of delegates and representatives of member countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania and Bulgaria) and observer countries (Germany, Romania), scientific experts and directors from leading scientific centres in Europe. The General Assembly meetings are focusing on financial, legal and scientific topics.
ELI ERIC is a unique European research infrastructure that has some of the most powerful and advanced lasers in the world. It consists of several facilities located in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. Its main objective is to provide scientists from all over the world with access to these ultra-powerful and ultra-fast lasers to conduct cutting-edge research in various fields including physics, chemistry, materials science and medicine. ELI ERIC also contributes to the development of new technologies, supporting industry and training the next generation of scientists and engineers.
As of the end of 2024, Bulgaria has been approved as a full member of ELI ERIC. The national consortium consists of the Institute of Electronics and the Institute of Solid State Physics of BAS and the Faculty of Physics of SU “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
