Assoc. Prof. Ivan Yotov was born on 21 June 1934 in Orehovitsa, district of Pleven, Bulgaria. He was a distinguished graduate of Nikola Y. Vaptsarov Naval Academy in 1957.

From 1958 to1959 he attended a requalification course in electronic equipment for the navy in Gatchina, district of Leningrad. From 1959 to 1963 he was responsible for electronic equipment in anti-submarine warfare squadron in Varna and Sozopol. In 1967 he graduated the Naval Academy in St. Petersburg with gold medal in the specialty Electronic Equipment for the Navy. In 1973 he was awarded a doctoral degree in the field of automation of data processing.

From 1973 to1978 he was Head of the newly established department of the Naval Academy Military Cybernatics and Control of Forces (Information Technologies). From 1989 to 1992 he was Deputy Head of Academic and scientific section of the Naval Academy.

He was actively involved in implementing information technologies in the learning process, scientific development and management not only in the Naval Academy but also in the Bulgarian Armed Forces military academies.

As a result of his efforts the Maritime Faculty of Varna Free University was transfered to the Naval Academy in 1992 and the training of students started.

Research work of Assoc. Prof. Yotov is mainly in the field of information technologies. He is the author of more than 90 publications, 7 textbooks and manuals. He contributed enormously to the implementation of modern information technologies at the Naval Academy and worked there till 2015.

Assoc. Prof. Ivan Yotov received the Doctor Honoris Causa honorary title of Nikola Y. Vaptsarov Naval Academy on 04.09.2004.