The Bulgarian government approved a draft cooperation agreement with Starbase Europe to redevelop the largely inactive Dobroslavtsi Airport.
The Bulgarian government has approved a draft cooperation agreement with Starbase Europe to redevelop the largely inactive Dobroslavtsi Airport near Sofia into a space and defense technology hub.
The proposed complex, officially named the Dobroslavtsi High-Tech Industrial Park and Space and Defense Development Center, would include facilities for assembling, testing, and qualifying new generations of satellites, along with research infrastructure and an educational campus.
A separate national facility is also planned to process satellite data to monitor and manage public services and economic activities.
"What is happening here is a collective image of the government's economic policy - investments in the knowledge economy, in high-tech production, in scientific research and development," said Prime Minister Rumen Radev.
“I hope that in this way we will transform Bulgaria from a country that consumes technologies into a country that creates them.”
Former Airport to Be Redeveloped
Dobroslavtsi Airport ended regular flight operations 25 years ago.
The government designated the area for high-tech industrial development in 2023 as part of an effort to attract private investment.
Under the proposed public-private partnership, the airport’s runway would be repaired and extended while remaining available as a training site for Bulgaria’s National Security Service.
The wider industrial zone would accommodate companies working in space technology, defense, and other advanced industries.
According to the government, the plan is intended to support technology transfer, domestic research, and skilled employment.
