Human and Social Development
Research and Development

Research groups / partnerships between Swiss and Bulgarian institutions; Bulgarian and Swiss academic community

Bulgaria has shown a keen interest to make research one of the priorities of the future Swiss Contribution to the EU-enlargement. The scientific institutions in this country have both need and interest to integrate more into the Western European research context. The Swiss Contribution will allow this through research partnerships between Bulgarian and Swiss scientific institutions (Joint Research Projects).

The programm aims at strengthening the research cooperation between Bulgaria and Switzerland. Specific objectives are to further enable the integration of Bulgarian researchers within international networks as well as to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and know-how among researchers. Outcomes to be delivered consist of benefits for end-users at policy level and/or at societal level captured by the number of submitted patent applications as well as number of innovations/inventions in terms of product, process, methodology etc. implemented and used following the implementation of Joint Research Projects.

Activities are primarily the organisation of one call for Joint Research Projects applications in early summer 2011 and the implementation of 15 to 20 selected Joint Research Projects amounting to max 400,000 Swiss francs each.

The expected results are: 

• Call for proposals is launched in time, supported by documents of good quality
• At least 15 joint research projects of high quality are successfully realized
• The achievements of the joint research projects are published