Sofia Investment Agency received a Certificate of appreciation from Business Club Magazine. The media company is the organizer of “Strong Regions for a Strong Economy” – a series of events dedicated to regional development policies.
Supporting the business on the territory of Sofia Municipality is a top priority for the Agency, CEO Vladimir Danailov said. He presented major entrepreneurial and business development opportunities: manufacturing facilities terrains, Certificate Class C plots, as well as SIA’s facilitating and support services for expanding into foreign markets.
Sofia won the Best IT Partner Award in the second edition of Innovations, Technology & Sourcing Awards organized by the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association (BOА) and Bulgarian association of software companies (BASSCOM) on June 16. The award is given for providing favorable conditions for the development of the IT sector. Mr. Vladimir Danailov, CEO of Sofia Privatization and Investment Agency received the award at the official ceremony in Grand Hotel Primoretz, Burgas. Innovation, Technology & Sourcing Awards 2017 marked the achievements of Bulgarian outsourcing and software companies, as well as start-ups, investors and local authorities in 10 categories, four of which in the technology sector and two recognizing the efforts of affiliated businesses, local authorities and universities.
“Bringing BOA and BASSCOM together to the awards is a positive precedent which proves that when you work in synergy you achieve sustainable results. Our joint efforts have contributed and will continue to contribute for building Bulgaria as a leading outsourcing and technology destination. This year’s awards in Burgas are a bright example of a good partnership between the BOA and the municipality for the development of the outsourcing sector in Bulgaria”, said Stanimir Nikolov, chairman of BOA.
The International jury of Innovation, Technology & Sourcing Awards has awarded Bulpros with Outsourcing Service Provider of the Year. Second place in the prestigious category grabbed Sutherland, and the third – Telus International.
The award Software Company of the Year was given to Programista. Second place was conquered by SoftServe. After a contested race, third place is for EPAM and Accedia.
An interesting fact is that a number of outsourcing companies have submitted applications at prima facie in IT categories such as IT Project of the Year and IT Product of the Year. The winners in the respective categories are Lirex and coBuilder. Second place for an IT project was given to Bulpros, a third to Upnetix and Code Runners. The second prize in the IT product of the year was awarded to Experian, and Code Runners stands behind it.
Technology Employer of the Year is Scale Focus, second and third respectively are Programista and Experian.
The most innovative technology company for 2016 is Bulpros. Sutherland was awarded second and SoftServe third.
Sirma Medical Systems was named Startup Company of the Year. The second
Stable growth in the number of employed in outsourcing and ICT – part of the wider sectors “Information and communication” and “Professional, scientific and technical activities” with a number exceeding 200,000
Representatives of the business, Sofia Municipality and academic structures discussed the development of Sofia as a digital and green capital. The meeting was part of the project Road Show 2017 “Competitive economy through stimulating partnership between local government and business”, organized by the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association (BAO), Association of the Commercial Buildings Owners in Bulgaria (ACBO) and ICT Media, and participants united around the conclusion that Sofia should be positioned as a good place for investment and high tech development, offering education tailored to business needs, high class business properties and attractive living conditions.
“I see the development of the city as a digital capital, partnering with business and academic circles. The rapid expansion of the whole city, coupled with the digital transformation of the world and the growing global competition, poses challenges that we need to tackle together,” said Ms Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia Municipality.
One of the most important steps in this direction is the creation of a Cooperation Forum of BAO and ACBO with Sofia Municipality through the Sofia Investment Agency (SIA). By the end of June, the Forum will have a working plan prepared on the basis of the long-term vision for turning Sofia into a digital and green capital. The plan is to hold Forum meetings at least twice a year, and partnerships with both associations will provide professional consultations with specialists on important topics and projects for the development of a smart city.
“IT and outsourcing companies have experience in areas like smart cities and other technologies; they have faced these problems and can share their experience. Direct communication with the municipality will contribute to a faster and more creative solution of current problems with less financial resources,” commented Stanimir Nikolov, Chairman of the Board of BAO.
“Those who invest in both ICT and outsourcing services, and in business buildings also work and live in Sofia. Creating the Forum will help us to work more actively with the municipality and the state to make it a better place to live. The two sectors are drivers of job creation,” added Tanya Kosseva-Boshova, Chairman of the Board of ACBO.
During the lunch, Ms. Fandakova added that Sofia occupies the top
Sofia Investment Agency (SIA) presented its work, team and activities, as well as the priority industries for the development of Sofia аt a working information meeting with members of the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies (BAIT). We are happy with the effective discussion on Smart city solutions and the development of the city in this direction. We also discussed the challenges that companies face with and how our team could help.
The shared expertise, information and suggestions have been extremely useful to our team and will help to plan effectively future activities related to the business environment support in the capital and the overall development of the city.
The specific topics that we discussed and set as potential joint projects also included the organization and conducting of a second “Business and Education” forum, for which the BAIT organizations will prepare suggestions and discussion topics on improving the quality of labor force in the capital.
Another opportunity we discussed was the launch of a project for Sofia’s image building as a regional development center. The project will be aimed at providing infrastructure for testing of Smart City solutions in a real environment. In order to do this, a working group has to be formed, which will involve experts from the ICT sector, as well as representatives of Sofia municipality.
We hope that the held meeting is the first step towards the development of a more favorable business environment in Sofia, as well as to shaping the city’s vision as a hub for highly qualified young talents that attracts sustainable investments by local and international entrepreneurs.
The second phase of the initiative “Sofia Meets Oslo – Oslo meets Sofia” took place on May 2-5, organized jointly by the team of Sofia Investment Agency (SIA) and Norwegian state agency Innovation Norway, which supports financially companies focusing on innovative business, and United Partners. The initiative aimed at providing opportunities for bilateral business contacts and getting to know the conditions for development within specific industries in both countries in connection with the forthcoming opening of the new grant period 2017-2021. Under this program, the Norwegian financial facility Norway Grants will allocate € 28.5 million to support Bulgarian projects. The Norwegian participation is part of Norway’s policy to award grants to EU member states for projects that are in line with its strategy of linking its economy to investment and development in new sectors, in order to reduce its dependence on the oil industry.
We love to help making green partnerships a reality! 🇧🇬💚🇳🇴 @InvestSofia @InnovasjonNorge #greenbusiness https://t.co/KDY8iLGC2V
— EEA & Norway Grants (@EEANorwayGrants) May 2, 2017
Norwegian companies and organizations showed strong interest in our ICT sector and actively sought partnerships among the Bulgarian delegation. On the Bulgarian side, 12 companies and 2
branch organizations presented their business and the conditions for doing business in Sofia and Bulgaria. BASCOM and BAIT, and the companies Cleantech Bulgaria, Code Runners, Accedia, Atlantic Way, Nexpur, Stemo, Predistic, Melon, ICB – InterConsult, and D Consult joined the phase “Oslo meets Sofia”. For three consecutive days in two Norwegian cities – Oslo and Skien, Telemark region, companies and organizations from both countries presented projects, potential opportunities for development and ideas.
Green sector+IT= great potential! The conclusion of a 2day visit from Bulgarian IT companies @EEANorwayGrants @InnovasjonNorge @InvestSofia pic.twitter.com/c3dLIsdfxT
— OREEC (@OREECnorge) May 3, 2017
That’s what the program was in the three-day event:
Oslo, May 2
Mr Knut Ringstad of Innovation Norway presented the program and objectives of the new programming period for funding under the EEA grants and Norway Grants. Mrs Nadya Soultanova, head of Investment Department at SIA, gave a presentation about Bulgaria’s capital, data on priority industries and the rapidly growing ICT sector, as well as specific opportunities for investment in the city. BASCOM also presented detailed data on the development of the ICT sector in Bulgaria. There were presentations of a number of Norwegian companies, among
“Sofia Green & Tech City” –that’s the name of the new video business card, shot and produced by B2Y Productions especially for the opening of this year’s edition of Webit.Festival Europe 2017 which took place on April 25 and 26, in Sofia. Traditionally, the welcome words in the opening ceremony are accompanied by video moments from previous editions of the prestigious forum, but this year Sofia Municipality, as a host, initiated a bit different greeting of the guests at the festival. The result – a 68-second video portraying the city as a place where dynamics and tranquillity, the traditional and the new, the different people and styles combine into a common shape of a lively and attractive place to live and do business.
The video footage was filmed in early April, days before the opening of Webit, at some of the key locations in the city – Vitosha Metro Station, the National Theatre, Sofia City Gallery, Sofia City Library, Moskovska Street, Sofia Tech Park and others. The video was broadcast for the first time as part of the welcome speech of the Mayor of Sofia, Mrs Yordanka Fandakova, when opening the two-day festival.
Watch the “Sofia Green & Tech City” video on Sofia Investment Agency’s YouTube channel here.
On May 18, 2017, Sofia Investment Agency (SIA) presented opportunities for investment to companies from Poland at the business seminar “Investment Opportunities and Economic Cooperation between Poland and Bulgaria”. The initiative was carried out with the assistance of the Polish Institute in Sofia and the Department for Promotion of Trade and Investment at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.
We present you a short profile of the Polish companies who participated in the seminar and the B2B meetings as well as the areas in which they are looking for a partnership in Bulgaria.
Famor S.A. – http://famor.pl – offers electrical equipment, lighting and signaling systems for rail transport and sea navigation, as well as for various industries including mining.
PPH „EWA-BIS” sp . z o.o. http://www.ewabis.com.pl/pl-PL/ – specialises in the growing and supply of fruit and vegetables and expects partnerships with distributors, wholesale importers, fruit and vegetable processing plants.
SEKO – http://www.sekosa.pl/ which trades with fish products and canned fish, and coffee producer WOSEBA http://www.woseba.com.pl/ expect contacts with wholesalers and large retail chains.
RENOVA http://www.renova.waw.pl/ seeks contact with institutions and organizations engaged in preservation of the cultural and historical heritage. The company is restorating historical monuments, buildings and sites.
Ciech Sarzyna S.A. http://www.ciechgroup.com/ is a leading plastics producer in Poland. Their products are used in the transport sector, motor vehicles, construction, mining, paint and varnish industries, etc. They await contacts with industry representatives.
Trade and service company Przedsiębiorstwo Handlowo Usługowe “GEO” sp. z o.o. O http://www.phugeo.eu/ has extensive experience as a consultant in the field of construction and equipment for agriculture and livestock farming. The company develops new livestock breeding technologies and is looking for potential customers and partners.
The seminar was attended by representatives of the Polish Chamber of Commerce – Mrs Anna Derbin, Project Manager at the Department for External Economic Relations in the Chamber, as well as Mr Witold Karczewski – Vice President of the Chamber.
On May 15 and 16, 2017, Тhe Trade Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Sofia organized a multisectoral economic mission in Sofia and Bourgas with Belgian companies interested in the Bulgarian market.
As part of the delegation’s program on May 16, a meeting was held between representatives of some of the companies participating in the mission, the Sofia Investment Agency (SIA) and the InvestBulgaria Agency (IBA). The representatives of the Belgian companies were accompanied by H.E. Mr François Bontemps, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium in Bulgaria and Mrs Anne Defourny, Economic & Commercial Counsellor in the Embassy’s Trade Office.
SIA presented its activities to the Belgian delegation as well as the investment opportunities in Sofia.
The meeting took place at the initiative of the Trade Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Sofia in the hall of IBA and with the assistance of Sofia Investment Agency.
SIA presented to delegates from the Republic of Egypt the investment opportunities in Sofia and how the Agency could help investors successfully set up a business in Sofia.
Nadia Soultanova, head of Investment Department of the Agency, gave a presentation on the foreign investment opportunities in new and high value industries, presented data about the state of the ICT sector and other priority sectors in Sofia, and the increasing number of tourists and of passengers traveling through the Sofia airport.
Company representatives from the Arab Republic of Egypt asked a number of questions concerning the operational costs and the tax system in Bulgaria, the availability of startup incubators and accelerators, the issuing of working visas to ICT specialists from outside the European Union, etc. Among the attending companies were EBKOT For Development & Tourism Co. S.A.E, which develops tourism projects, Investia Venture Capital, a venture capital and direct equity investment company, Polyserve Group – the leading company for manufacturing phosphates fertilizers and sulphuric acid, Tam Oilfield Services – exclusive representative of major worldwide manufacturers in the oil/gas and refinery industries, and a provider of technical services, Polymers for EVA & Rubber, which manufactures rubber articles for the shoes industry, Manapharma – exclusive provider of specialised products for a number of international pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical companies, RadaResearch, the leading Egyptian, privately owned marketing research and Public Relations Company.
The meeting was held on the initiative and with the cooperation of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The presentation was also attended by Her Excellency Ms Manal Yehia El Shinnawi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Bulgaria.
On May 18, 2017, Sofia Investment Agency in cooperation with Polish Institute and Trade and Promotion Section of the Polish Embassy in Sofia is organizing a business seminar Investment opportunities and Economic and Business Cooperation between Poland and Bulgaria.
Agenda:
10.00 – 10.10 OFFICIAL OPENING
Mrs. Grazyna Chorążykiewicz, Counsellor, head of the Trade and Promotion Section of the Polish Embassy in Sofia and Mr. Jarosław Godun – Director of the Polish Institute, Sofia
10.10 – 10.35 ADDRESS AND PRESENTATION
Sofia as an Investment Destination and the role of Sofia Invest Agency
Mr. Vladimir Danailov, CEO Sofia Investment Agency
10.35 – 10.50 PRESENTATION
Economic and business cooperation between Poland and Bulgaria
Mrs. Grazyna Chorążykiewicz, head of the Trade and Promotion Section of the Polish Embassy in Sofia,
10.50 – 11.05 PRESENTATION
Cooperation of the Bulgarian and Polish Firms – the most successful examples
Mr. Yordan Draganchev, Counsellor, the head of Economic Section of the Embassy of Bulgaria in Warsaw
11.10 – 12.30 B2B meetings
12.30 SUMMARY and a glass of wine
The working language of the event will be English.
Translation for the B2B meetings from Polish and Bulgarian will be available upon request. Please book your presence at +359 2 980 04 67 / +359 2 986 45 32 or send us email at contact@investsofia.com.
Sofia Investment Agency (SIA) is eager to meet the attendees of Webit.Festival Europe’17. Our stand is at the very heart of the exhibition area and our team will have the pleasure to be the host of several Sofia-based startup companies and innovative businesses during the two days of the event.
Follow the map, join us and meet these great local startups and educators:
iGREET – find augmented reality @ very unexpected places all over our tent
Participation Dates and Hours:
25/04/2017 – all day
26/04/2017 – all day
Sofia Tech AI Lab – see how to control a robot via brain waves
Participation Dates and Hours:
26/04/2017 – all day
Robopartans – how do kids learn to build a robot?
Participation Dates and Hours:
25/04/2017 – 10.00 – 10.30 am
26/04/2017 – 10.00 – 10.30 am
NeoFeedback – technology controls the unconscious processes in human bodies – do you want to play a game?
Participation Dates and Hours:
25/04/2017 – all day
26/04/2017 – all day
Tickey – What are the little tricks of a really smart city?
Participation Dates and Hours:
25/04/2017 – all day
26/04/2017 – all day
So visit Sofia Investment Agency’s Webit tent and find out why Sofia is an attractive destination for inventors, entrepreneurs and educators. Look for SIA’s branding, join our stand.
Sofia Investment Agency (SIA) invites startup companies and innovative businesses to present their ideas and projects at Webit.Festival Europe’17. The Agency will have its own stand during the two days of the festival on April 25-26, 2017. Our team is encouraging all entrepreneurs or startup companies to join us and to promote their ideas or projects-in-progress to the attendees of the event. Entrepreneurs and young companies that pursue development opportunities in Sofia can present their ideas at our exhibition zone for free. For more information and applications, please contact Nadia Soultanova, Head of Investment Analysis at nadia.soultanova@investsofia.com, mobile: +359 896 160 104. The deadline for submissions is April, 19.
During the festival, our team will be at your disposal to answer all questions related to the business environment in Sofia, to provide data and statistics on key industries and investment opportunities. SIA is part of Sofia Municipality and offers a free of charge one-stop service for local and foreign companies, entrepreneurs, and startups; we assist companies in finding business opportunities in Sofia and provide all relevant information and guidance for setting up. Do not hesitate to visit our stand and to ask our team how can we support entrepreneurs who want to set up and develop a successful business in Sofia.
Join our stand at Webit.Festival with your questions, ideas or businesses projects that you want to start and grow in Sofia.