On November 4, 2025, a workshop was held at the Regional Administration – Plovdiv on the topic: “Space Technologies and Innovations in Support of Effective Crisis and Disaster Management”. The event was organized by the Center for National Security and Defence Research (CNSDR) at the Academy, jointly with the Regional Administration – Plovdiv and the “Fire Safety and Civil Protection” General Directorate at the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Regional Governor of Plovdiv Region, Prof. Christina Yancheva, opened the meeting. The event was attended by experts and representatives of ministries, municipalities, the scientific community and public organizations from the region. A special greeting to the participants was delivered by Mrs. Roya Ayazi, Secretary-General of NEREUS – Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies. In August 2025, “Risk-Space-Transfer” (RST) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences officially joined NEREUS as an associate member.
The workshop demonstrated the growing importance of cooperation between science and government institutions in addressing the effects of climate change. Within the “Space and Innovative Technologies in Crisis and Disaster Management” session, moderated by Corresponding Member Stefan Hadjitodorov, space applications were presented as a strategic tool for prevention, early warning and protection of the population and critical infrastructure. Senior Commissioner Vasil Dimov, Director of the “Fire Safety and Civil Protection” Regional Directorate – Plovdiv, presented the technologies and data that the Directorate used in its operational activities, emphasizing the need for integration with already existing innovative technological solutions in institutes and the research community. A good example of technology transfer from science to end-users were the municipalities of Gabrovo and Burgas which participated in European rojects to address the adverse effects of climate change. Their successful experience in using climate risk assessment tools within the VALORADA project was presented in the second part of the workshop, as a proven model with high potential for multiplication in other Bulgarian municipalities.
The “Space Technologies and Innovations in Support of Effective Crisis and Disaster Management” workshop laid the foundations for the future development of the regional capacity for using sustainable and technology-based solutions for crisis and disaster management. Mr. Kamen Iliev, Director of CNSDR, emphasized that the Plovdiv region had historical and geographical prerequisites for establishing a regional Center for Natural Disaster and Crisis Management through the transfer of innovative technologies.
