Karina ANGELIEVA

Karina Angelieva has been Head of the Political Cabinet of the Minister of Energy in the Bulgarian government during 2023-April 2024. She is a former Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth and previously since 2018 Deputy Minister of Education and Science of R Bulgaria. In her responsibilities she was covering large portfolio, including the programming and implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Instrument and European Structural Investment Funds in innovation, science, competitiveness and growth, and also education. In the energy sector, Karina was responsible for the international cooperation and fostering RES and hydrogen in the SEE region. One of the her achievements are the development of new governmental structure for innovation, positioning peer review model in R&I, internationalisation and capacity building in R&I. Karina was responsible for the new smart specialisation policy, space policy, business like measures such as start-up and spin off, digital economy, AI, Bioeconomy and hydrogen, etc. She served as the Head of sectors “Education and Training” and “Research and Innovation” at the Bulgarian Permanent Representation to the EU and during the Bulgarian Presidency in the first half of 2018, she chaired the Council’s Research Working Party. Prior to her almost a decade experience in European policymaking she held various positions at management level including Director General for Structural Funds and International Educational Programmes at the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria and Director of the Joint Innovation Centre of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. As a long-time employee of the Ministry of Education and Science in the period 2002-2009, Ms. Angelieva was involved in the coordination of the EU Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, overseeing the national contact network, drafting positions for PCs, etc. She provided analysis and recommendations for the introduction of modern European practices in program financing on a national level. Ms. Angelieva participated in various working groups, including the group tasked with the preparation of the National Charter for SMEs and of the methodology for the Technology Transfer centers. Karina’s passion is promoting and supporting innovative and skilled young people. She is one of the co-initiators of the Club Young Talents in Bulgaria. She served as ESFRI Board Member and currently she is ESFRI delegate for Bulgaria. Karina graduated History and has a Master in Contemporary History and a Master in European Integration.