Forum on Microelectronics and Mechatronics

On October 7, 2022, the second Microelectronics and Mechatronics Forum was held in the "Tsvetan Lazarov" Hall of the newly opened National Center for Mechatronics and Clean Technologies (Block 8) at the Technical University – Sofia.

The Microelectronics and Mechatronics Forum is organized for the second year by the Technical University – Sofia, the Microelectronics and Industrial Electronic Systems Cluster, and the Mechatronics and Automation Cluster. It took place within a single day and was broadcast live on the YouTube channel of the Technical University – Sofia (here)

The program of the Microelectronics and Mechatronics Forum included 5 panels – The Clusters & European Ecosystem, Policies and Funding, Education & Research, Microelectronics & Mechatronics Industry, and Round Table. Topics covered included digitalization, the European Chips Act, human resources, education, research and development, and supply chain disruptions.

Greetings were delivered by the Rector of the Technical University – Sofia, Prof. Dr. Eng. Ivan Králov, the Rector of the Technical University – Gabrovo, Prof. Dr. Eng. Iliya Zhelezarov, the Vice-Rector of the Technical University – Varna, Prof. Dr. Eng. Todor Ganchev, and Petar Statev, member of the Board of Trustees of the Technical University – Sofia. A congratulatory message for the event was received from the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev.

Speakers in the first panels of the event were Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Angelov – head of the Microelectronics and Industrial Electronic Systems Cluster and head of the Microelectronics Department at TU-Sofia, Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Todorov, head of the Mechatronics and Automation Cluster and Dean of the Faculty of Industrial Technologies, MEPs Eva Maydell and Tsvetelina Penkova, Jo De Boeck – Strategic Director and Vice President of IMEC, former Minister of Education and Science Acad. Nikolay Dенков, former Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth Karina Angelieva, Anton Shishkov – Program Director at Key Digital Technology – Joint Undertaking (KDT-JU), Bogdan Bogdanov – Executive Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency, Kamen Slavov – Member of the Board of Directors of the Fund of Funds (FMFIB), Todor Mladenov – Executive Director of Sofia Tech Park.

Speakers in the subsequent panels were Prof. Juin J. Liu, Prof. Christophe Couteau, EUt+, Troyes University of Technology (France), Sandra Velikovich – University of Niš, Prof. Marius Neag – Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Silvan Colo – Manager, Melexis Bulgaria, Simeon Kostadinov – GlobalFoundries Bulgaria, Martin Misitz – Head of Innovation Management, Infineon Austria, Velislava Ignatova – Senior Project Manager at ASML, Krasimir Petkov – Director of Milara, Anita Lyubenova – Renesas Design Bulgaria, Ivaylo Savov – Spesima, Krasimir Trifonov – Executive Director of Arexim Engineering, Balio Dinev – Executive Director of David Holding.

The event was attended by over 50 people, including representatives from business, universities, students, and young people with interests in these dynamic sectors of the economy, science, and education. The online broadcast had over 400 viewers. You can follow the recording here.

See the program of the Forum on Microelectronics and Mechatronics here.