Sofia University and Aurubis Bulgaria join forces on the path to a low-carbon economy 

SU "St. Kliment Ohridski" and "Aurubis Bulgaria" signed a partnership agreement. Net-Zero Lab, a teaching and research laboratory at the Faculty of Economics will collaborate with the largest German investor in the country to support techno-economic research, business model adaptation and specialized training related to the process of reducing the carbon footprint of the industry.

The partnership of the two organisations is the first of its kind and was announced during a visit of the Faculty of Economics of SU to the production plant of Aurubis Bulgaria. The copper plant hosted a forum on the decarbonisation strategy of the Aurubis AG Group with experts from Germany, Belgium, the USA, Italy and Bulgaria. Students and lecturers from the Master programmes "Energy Markets and Services" and "Responsible and Sustainable Management" arrived on site for discussions with the international company's team.
"This collaboration creates the necessary link between science and practice to implement solutions for carbon reduction and circular resource management," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Director of Net-Zero Lab. "We need to work together as a big team to achieve our goals. Lending a hand between business and science is the way forward," added Tim Kurth, COO of the Aurubis Group and CEO of Aurubis Bulgaria.

Net-Zero Lab was established this year as a teaching and research laboratory at the Faculty of Economics of the University of St. Kliment Ohridski" for applied research, analysis, training and development of tools to support decision-making in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
During the visit the students and lecturers visited the first solar park of the Aurbis Bulgaria RES complex and the cathode copper refinery. "Learning about sustainable industrial practices on site is a valuable incentive for our students," said Dr. Maria Trifonova, Deputy Director of Net-Zero Lab. She drew attention to intergenerational continuity and that the actions we take today are the foundation upon which future generations will build their tomorrow. "This perspective is at the heart of our partnership with Aurubis Bulgaria," Dr. Trifonova emphasized.

"Aurubis is implementing a four-year programme "Investing for Progress. Bulgaria 2027" worth BGN 800 million. The company is expanding its capacity to produce refined copper - the country's main export and a key material for the energy transition. The investment program includes energy efficiency projects, construction of new photovoltaic plants and modernization of the main production facilities near Pirdop and Zlatitsa. The Aurubis Group is implementing a strategy to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.