Plovdiv builds Bulgaria's first regional space center for disaster prevention

A revolution in crisis management: Plovdiv bets on space

The Regional Governor of Plovdiv, Georgi Yanev, and the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Corresponding Member Evelina Slavcheva, signed a memorandum for strategic cooperation. The goal is to build Bulgaria's first regional space center for disaster and accident prevention.

"This is proof that when there is continuity and a shared vision, significant projects with the potential to change risk management can be realized," commented Georgi Yanev.

Main functions and technologies of the center

The center will serve as a technological hub for real-time data processing, providing:

• Early detection of forest fires: Using state-of-the-art infrared sensors.
• Monitoring of critical infrastructure: Continuous surveillance of water catchment areas and industrial sites.
• Precision agriculture: Adapting the sector to climate change through satellite data.

A key partner in the project is the European company Constellr, which is developing a high-precision thermal satellite system. It allows for the detection of thermal anomalies that remain invisible to standard optical satellites.

The initiative, presented for the first time at "Hemus 2026", establishes Plovdiv as a leader in the implementation of innovation and national security.