Bulgaria and France are deepening cooperation in high technology and space. At the Élysée Palace, in the presence of Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and French President Emmanuel Macron, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Bulgarian company EnduroSat and French company Arianespace on September 10.
Paris Space Summit: Bulgaria and France To Cooperate in the Field of High Technology
The signing took place on the first day of the International Space Summit, organised at the initiative of the French president.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the space cooperation agreement signed in France as extraordinary.
Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria: “It is no coincidence that this agreement is being signed in the presence of President Macron and myself. It opens the door for Bulgaria to take its rightful place in the European space ecosystem.”
The Prime Minister added that for Europe to be strong, secure and prosperous, it must develop high and space technologies.
Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria: “I also shared with President Macron that he was the first to open the debate on Europe’s strategic autonomy. But in today’s world, with technologies developing at an increasingly rapid pace, the pillar of that strategic autonomy is space.”
The agreement combines the capacity to build large-scale satellite constellations with Europe’s largest launch vehicle. The Bulgarian company said it plans to use Arianespace launch services from 2029, with satellite fleets to be deployed aboard the Ariane 64.
Bulgarian company EnduroSat is one of the fastest-growing companies in the sector and is rapidly expanding its market share. Radev said he had also told President Macron that, a year ago, he would hardly have expected a Bulgarian company to be prepared to invest hundreds of millions of euros to purchase two launches of Europe’s heaviest rocket, Ariane 6, to deploy its satellites. Moreover, the Bulgarian company has produced and placed more small satellites into orbit than all European companies combined.
In a one-on-one meeting, Prime Minister Radev and President Macron discussed bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and France and the potential for deepening the partnership in high technology, the economy, investment, and science.
Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria: “We have the ambition to expand bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of the economy and investment. There is also a reverse flow, because the same company – EnduroSat – is already investing in Toulouse. So Bulgaria is not a country that simply receives investment. We also invest, particularly in high technology, and this is already attracting attention. Bulgaria is becoming an equal European partner when it comes to the economy, science and high technology.”
Just a few weeks ago, the Bulgarian company announced plans to build a major new space development centre on the site of the former airport in Dobroslavtsi.
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