An official event at the Central Military Club in Sofia marked the launch of BioMedRTC – the Biomedical Research and Technology Centre – a large-scale initiative that brings together Bulgarian scientific expertise, international partnerships and cutting-edge technologies with the aim of advancing biomedical research and innovation in Bulgaria.
BioMedRTC is a joint initiative of the “Academician Roumen Tsanev” Institute of Molecular Biology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IMB-BAS), the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden and the Institut Curie in Paris.
The project aims to create a world-class research environment for conducting interdisciplinary research focusing on rare diseases and cancer. By integrating state-of-the-art technologies from molecular and cellular biology with quantitative approaches from physics and mathematics, scientists at BioMedRTC will investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases. The aim is for the knowledge gained to lay the foundations for improved prevention and the development of new and more effective therapeutic approaches.
The official programme was opened by Assoc. Prof. Dr Atanas Gospodinov, Director of IMB-BAS, who presented the Institute and its scientific potential.
The vision, main objectives and future development of BioMedRTC were presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr Stoyno Stoynov, the project leader, who placed particular emphasis on the opportunities the Centre would create for the development of a new generation of scientists and for young researchers to achieve scientific independence at an earlier stage.
As part of the project, five research groups will be established, led by young group leaders who will have the opportunity to build their own teams and develop independent areas of research. This model is well-established in leading European research organisations and creates the conditions for promising researchers to achieve scientific independence at an earlier stage of their professional development.
In parallel with these initiatives, BioMedRTC will establish five technology clusters that will provide access to cutting-edge technologies and highly specialised expertise for both researchers and the business sector, thereby creating the conditions for closer interaction between fundamental science, technological development and innovation.
“Our ambition is for BioMedRTC to become a leading centre for biomedical research in South-Eastern Europe, promoting scientific achievements, international cooperation and the translation of fundamental scientific discoveries into tangible benefits for society,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr Stoyno Stoynov.
The international partnership, which is a key part of the Centre’s development, was presented by Dr. Mihail Sarov, a member of the BioMedRTC Steering Committee and head of a technology development group at MPI-CBG. Prof. Stephan Grill, Managing Director of MPI-CBG and a member of the BioMedRTC Steering Committee, also expressed his support for the project via an online link.
The Institut Curie participation and its contribution to the partnership were presented by Prof. Geneviève Almouzni, Honorary Chair of the Institut Curie Research Centre and a member of the BioMedRTC Steering Committee, who also extended a welcome to the team and guests at the event.
International support for the initiative was complemented by online messages from Dr. Krastan Blagoev, Programme Director for “Physics of Living Systems” at the US National Science Foundation and a researcher in the Department of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University, and Plamena Markova, Chief of International Relations at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
A welcome address on behalf of the Minister of Education and Science, Prof. Dr Georgi Valchev, was delivered by a representative of the Ministry of Education and Science. The official programme concluded with a welcome address by the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member Prof. Evelina Slavcheva, DSc.
Among the guests at the official opening were members of parliament, representatives of state institutions, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the scientific and academic community, the business sector, the media, partner organisations and other stakeholders.
The official launch of BioMedRTC marks the start of a new phase in efforts to build a competitive environment for biomedical research in Bulgaria, to attract and develop young scientists, and to integrate the Bulgarian scientific community more closely into European and international scientific networks.
Project BG16RFPR002-1.008-0001 “Biomedical Technology Research Centre (BioMedRTC): an Accelerator of Scientific Excellence towards Innovation Driven Economy in Bulgaria” is funded under the “Research, Innovation and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation” Programme 2021–2027, co-funded by the European Union.
