Health & Life Sciences Cluster (HLSC)

About the organisation

HLSC (Health & Life Sciences Cluster, Bulgaria) is Bulgaria’s national life-sciences cluster, bringing together universities, research centres, hospitals, startups, technology-transfer organisations, SMEs and established companies across biotechnology, health, personalised medicine and digital health. HLSC connects science, industry and policy, helping innovators access funding, develop cross-border partnerships, validate solutions and engage with European and international networks.

The cluster has practical experience in building inclusive innovation ecosystems through European projects including TransBioNet, OHAMR, C3BG, INNAXE, PRECISEU, VELES, ENACT and BIO-RED. Its work spans biotechnology, health-data ecosystems, personalised medicine, capacity building, technology transfer and the strengthening of innovation in Widening countries.

Within TransBioNet, HLSC co-leads inclusive policy analysis and contributes to ensuring that Widening-country ecosystems are represented in project activities and recommendations. It also supports training, open calls, stakeholder engagement, communication and dissemination. Through its established links with public authorities, academia, healthcare providers and industry, HLSC serves as a first point of contact for organisations in Bulgaria and South-East Europe seeking collaboration, specialised support and pathways to transform research into market-ready biomedical innovation.

Role in the project

Co-leads policy and ecosystem mapping and stakeholder consultations, contributing to training and shared tools.