08.11.2024
On November 4, 2024, the official opening of the new academic year for the Master's Program "Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer" (IPTT) took place in Hall 300 of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The event featured a public lecture on the topic: "Creating a Successful Knowledge-Based Innovation Ecosystem in Bulgaria through Technology Transfer and Startups“.
Greetings were extended by Mrs. Olya Dimitrova, Chairperson of the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and Director of the Institute of Law, Economics, and Intellectual Property at Sofia University; and the Program Director, Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Irena Mladenova. Dr. DJ Nag from the United States was the guest lecturer at the event
Автор: Alma Mater TV
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev highlighted the strategic importance of the program in training specialists to support the accelerated development of technology transfer within the country. The topic is also crucial for the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, which aims to provide a forum for discussions on this subject within a broad ecosystem of public and private partners.
Mrs. Olya Dimitrova, Chairperson of the Bulgarian Patent Office, affirmed the agency's commitment and support for the master's program. She congratulated the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration for its success in attracting leading international organizations as partners in the program, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), among others. Mrs. Dimitrova wished the students success and encouraged them to seek future opportunities both within the Bulgarian Patent Office and among international partner organizations, accessible to them through internships and other forms provided by the program.
Before the lecture, Assoc. Prof. Georgiev and Mrs. Dimitrova discussed plans for cooperation between the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and the Bulgarian Patent Office, focusing on training, international collaboration, and the development of the innovation environment in Bulgaria.
Guest lecturer Dr. DJ Nag, President of Innovaito LLC and an internationally recognized expert on intellectual property and technology transfer, shared his experience and strategies for building successful innovation ecosystems. He presented examples from world-renowned institutions such as Stanford and MIT, along with innovative approaches from Poland as a leading example for Central and Eastern Europe.
The lecture was attended by students from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, other faculties of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", the Technical University of Sofia, New Bulgarian University, as well as faculty members and industry representatives. The ensuing discussion addressed questions regarding mechanisms for technology transfer, best practices, and guidelines to support Bulgarian researchers and inventors.
