Bulgaria opens space‑defence park at Dobroslavtsi airfield

The former military airfield in Dobroslavtsi, unused for about 25 years, is being transformed into a European‑level space and defence hub through a public‑private partnership. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Bulgarian government and Starbase Europe during Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s site visit. The project will renovate the runway, build industrial facilities and a National Centre for space‑data coordination, and create a research‑education complex involving Sofia University, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and the Georgi Benkovski Aviation Academy. EnduroSat founder Rajcho Rajchev says the first three‑year phase will restore the runway, add green areas and erect the initial industrial buildings. The centre aims to attract high‑tech investment, generate skilled jobs, and serve as a test and qualification site for the next generation of Bulgarian satellites, while the runway will continue to support National Security Service training. The government’s approval of the MoU, attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Alexander Pulev and Atanas Pekanov, underscores the ambition to make the Dobroslavtsi zone a major high‑technology industrial park for space, defence and future industries.