The former military airport at Dobroslavtsi, where flight operations ended 25 years ago, is set to become what the Bulgarian government describes as Europe's largest advanced space and defense center. The project, based on a public-private partnership, was officially launched with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the government and Starbase Europe during a visit to the site by Prime Minister Rumen Radev.
Radev said the initiative reflects the government's strategy of investing in high-tech industries and the knowledge economy while opening new opportunities for Bulgarian companies with global ambitions. "Today we are opening the doors to innovative Bulgarian companies and business leaders with bold visions and proven global success. A high-tech industrial park focused on space technologies, the defense industry and the industries of the future will be built here," he said.
The prime minister stressed that the airport's runway will not lose its aviation role. Instead, it will be repaired, extended and continue to serve as a training base for the National Protective Service (NSO). He also announced that construction of a National Center for Observation, Coordination and Management of Space Data, an initiative he has promoted since 2020, will finally begin. According to Radev, the center will allow the Bulgarian state to manage key socio-economic processes more efficiently through the use of space-based data.
