Recognition of the scientific achievements of the Technical University – Sofia

At an official ceremony inscribing names in the Golden Book of the Bulgarian Patent Office, the name of Prof. Dr. Eng. Nikolay Nikolov, Head of the Department of "Theory of Mechanisms and Machines" at the Faculty of Industrial Technologies of the Technical University – Sofia, was added. He received this high recognition for holding over 20 patents and utility models, for creating specialized robots, designing mechanisms and machines, as well as other automation tools. Prof. Nikolov's work combines fundamental scientific research with applied technologies, making a significant contribution to the development of modern industrial and medical equipment.

The Industrial Property Conference organized by the Patent Office was held under the theme "The Power of Innovation: Protect, Be Competitive, Be Successful," and marked 133 years since the beginning of industrial property protection in our country. It was introduced with the first Law on Trade and Industrial Marks, which entered into force on April 22, 1893.

The Rector of the Technical University – Sofia, Prof. Dr. Georgi Venkov, the Coordinator for Strategic Development of TU – Sofia, Prof. Dr. Eng. Ivan Králov, and Prof. Dr. Eng. Stefan Stefanov, Deputy Head of the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Center at TU – Sofia, attended the event.

The first discussion panel of the conference featured creators and managers of some of the most successful high-tech Bulgarian companies.

Prof. Venkov participated in the panel "Current Challenges in Education: Building the Next Generation of Innovators." During the discussion, he stated that the Technical University – Sofia offers a master's specialization in "Technological Entrepreneurship," which helps students with interesting ideas create innovative projects.

Thus, he said, new technologies are applied, which are subsequently implemented by businesses, leading to the actual production of innovative products. He noted that academic ethics is widely practiced at TU – Sofia; it is not taught in schools but is included in the introductory courses of all specializations at the university. According to him, academic ethics convinces students of three main aspects: what constitutes the object of intellectual property, such as a scientific article, publication, or the development of a thesis. Another important issue is the entry and use of artificial intelligence and the limits of its application. The third question concerns the future work of students. It is linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the promotion of green technologies, the preservation of ecosystems, and gender, religious, and racial equality.

During the discussion, the Rector of TU - Sofia emphasized the European Technological University and pointed out that the idea of the alliance of nine technological universities is to become a federation by 2030, where EUt+ students will study their specialty at one of the partner universities every semester. Prof. Venkov stated that education can no longer be fixed in one place; partners, the technologies used, their culture, and foreign languages must be known for higher education to be competitive and on a global level. The Technical University – Sofia, he concluded, firmly follows its development by providing high-quality education and conducting cutting-edge scientific research.

The other panelists focused on how education develops – from school to university – and whether it stimulates innovations and scientific achievements leading to the creation of global technologies. The topic of young talents, high school students, and how they can be encouraged and prepared to think like innovators to realize their scientific ideas was discussed.

Olya Dimitrova, Chair of the Patent Office, and the acting Minister of Economy and Industry, Irina Shtonova, addressed greetings to the forum participants. She emphasized that innovation is the driving force of modern industry and the key to economic growth. According to her, effective protection of industrial property ensures that the efforts of scientists and entrepreneurs translate into real economic value.

Ekaterna Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation, also sent online greetings to the conference participants.

Speeches were delivered by Antonio Campinos, President of the European Patent Office, and João Negrão, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office. On behalf of the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Habip Asan – Director of the Directorate for Transition and Developing Countries at WIPO – also extended greetings to the attendees. Among the participants were heads of national patent offices of the member states of the European Patent Organisation, which currently comprises 39 countries.

For the first time, we also present other scientists from the Technical University – Sofia, who have been inscribed in the Golden Book of the Patent Office over the years.