National Center of Nanotechnologies

The nanotechnological research community in the country has established in 1999 the National Center on Nanotechnology (NCNT), attached to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and advised by the National Expert Council on Nanotechnology (NECNT). The Center works on the basis of equipment, experience and knowledge of several institutions from the Bulgarian Academy of Science, seven Bulgarian universities, government institutions and SME. As a bridging unit, NCNT l concentrates the efforts of the scientific community in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology in order to meet the requirements of the new technological era and to make the achievements in this promising field available to the society in Bulgaria and in the Balkan region.

The NCNT is based in the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, BAS

NCNT is a national centre for excellence in nanoscience and nanotechnology for both the academic community and manufacturing industries. The activities are essentially multi- disciplinary and cover a wide spectrum of application in nanotechnology and precision measurements, involving the study of unconventional materials and manufacturing methods. By supervising the activity of the scientific community performing research in the field of nanoscience, NCNT helps the improvement and competitiveness of the efforts and promotes the transfer of innovations into the social and economical environment.

Another goal of NCNT is to meet some social objectives such as employment of young scientists and the advanced field of nanoscience and thus to contribute to the improvement of human research potential. In its future activity the Centre will influence the ability of the society to implement the high technology innovations in the every day life.

Based on existing long traditions in international cooperation, NCNT aims to intensify the collaboration with European institutions and to increase the effectiveness of scientific research and development in Europe encouraging more effective sharing of innovation and new technologies. With its experience in the field of research and education it can also act as Regional Center for education and training in east and southeast Europe

Since 2002 the NCNT has developed the COSENT Initiative (COoperation of Southeast European countries in the field of Nano Technology) carried out as a three stages project under consequent annual contracts (No. UVO-ROSTE 875.589.2, UVO-ROSTE 875.669.3, UVO-ROSTE 875.617.4) with the UNESCO-ROSTE Office in Venice, Italy.
COSENT- The South East European Consortium on NANO- Science and Technologies: Nanostructured Materials and Devices was founded as a virtual network of scientists from the South-East Europe who work in the field of NANO- Science and Technology at the COSENT first annual meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria (October 2002). The consortium elaborated and accepted its Bylaws at its second annual meeting in Istanbul, Turkey (November 2003). At its Third annual meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria (November 26-27, 2004) the COSENT General Assembly elected its Regional Expert Council on Nano Technologies (RECNT).
The COSENT Fourth Annual Meeting will take place as a satellite event to the 1st International Workshop on Nanoscience & Nanotechnology - IWON 2005, organized in Belgrade, Serbia (November 15-18, 2005; http://www.nanosys.ihtm.bg.ac.yu/nanosci/cosent2005.htm).

At present the COSENT Consortium consists of 194 members grouped in 124 research units from 81 institutions (academies, universities, research institutes and SMEs) from 12 countries (10 SEE countries, Germany and the USA), organized in 124 research units. The consortium maintains a data bank about its members and their research activities. The information gathered is being disseminated by means of a web site (www.cosent.dir.bg) and a CD.