Bulgaria’s government on Wednesday named the country’s priority areas of technological research relating to defence and security.

ICT, sensors, radar and navigation equipment, weapons, ammunition and equipment; research and technology for nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological protection are among the areas, on which the Bulgarian state, businesses and scientific researsch teams will focus under a Security and Defence Research and Technology Strategy adopted on Wednesday, the government said in a statement.

The strategy defines the model of interaction between state agencies, businesses, scientific and educational bodies in technological research for implementing the national defence and security objectives and contributing to EU and NATO security and defence policies.

The stragegy is targeting priority areas of national importance for investment in research and technology for defence and security purposes. The document opens up opportunities for stepping up the participation of Bulgarian industry and science in programmes and projects on national level as well as in the framework of NATO and the European Union, according to the statement.

Bulgaria plans to allocate up to 1.5% of its defence budget to scientific research and development under the programme “Bulgaria in NATO and in European Defence 2020” adopted in October 2014.