A round-table discussion on “Security and Safety in the Black Sea” took place on 25 September in Varna. The event was organised by the Centre for National Security and Defence Research at BAS (CNSDR-BAS) in collaboration with the Institute of Oceanology and the Centre for Hydro- and Aerodynamics at BAS. The forum took place at the Centre for Hydro- and Aerodynamics and forms part of the initiatives under the “Security and Defence” National Scientific Programme.
The main aim of the round table was to encourage dialogue and cooperation between the scientific community, the state administration and the business sector to enhance security, stability and sustainable development in the Black Sea region. The discussions focused on opportunities for integrating the scientific results obtained by BAS research teams within the framework of key national and international programmes. The event is fully aligned with the EU’s Black Sea Security Strategy and the objectives of the forthcoming international conference “The Black Sea Monitoring: From Space to Sea”.
The participants discussed priority areas in the context of the European maritime security strategy (Black Sea maritime security). Particular attention was paid to the role of innovation and space technologies in strengthening security. Among the key topics were:
- The integration of new technologies for the protection of critical maritime and energy infrastructure.
- A demonstration of practical examples of the use of space technologies for maritime monitoring, including the application of thermal data from the “Constellr” satellite system and an analysis of monitoring results in the Persian Gulf.
- Presentation of the upcoming 12th European CASSINI Hackathon “EU Space for Peace and Resilience”, focused on innovation in security, defence and crisis response.
The event brought together a wide range of experts, representatives of the armed forces, the civil service, local government and the academic community. Representatives from the following organisations took part in the discussions (both in person and online):
- The Bulgarian Navy and the Military Police Service
- Navigation Maritime Bulgare JSC
- Directorate “Maritime Administration” – Varna
- Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAFA)
- “Port Infrastructure” Agency – Varna
- Burgas Municipality
- Black Sea Basin Directorate
- Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Burgas
- Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Varna
- Burgas Free University
- “Prof. Dr Assen Zlatarov” State University of Burgas
- “Georgi Benkovski” Higher Air Force School
- Technical University – Varna and the academic community
The round-table discussion demonstrated the need for science and institutions to join forces to ensure reliable situational awareness, early warning and the protection of strategic supply routes in the Black Sea.
