The Municipal Councilor and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Sofia Municipal Privatization and Investment Agency, Mr. Nikolay Stoynev, will participate in the Zones with development potential in the compact city context panel, part of the programme of the Urban Development Forum 2020 (UDF2020).
UDF2020 is a hybrid event of the City Media Group, organized in cooperation with the European Investment Bank. It will take place on 2 October and will be broadcasted live. The event will focus on the solutions that the public and private sectors are looking for to create a sustainable urban environment with good living, business, social and cultural activities.
Nikolay Stoynev is a Municipal councilor, Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic and Property at the Sofia Municipal Council, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Sofia Municipal Privatization & Investment Agency. He will join the discussion on the rapid development of the area Hladilnika – Sofia’s increasingly hot investment zone. It has earned this status not only due to its attractive location (close to the city center, two city parks, and metro station) but also because of the constructive dialogue between the public and private sectors. Another success factor is the investors’ understanding that mutual efforts and coordination will create a modern multifunctional environment with high value of the project in the area.
The panel will present the point of view of the municipality, experts, and investors involved in the progress of the urban planning processes and strategic projects of ‘Hladilnika’, what are the main challenges for the second half of 2020, and what lies ahead.
UDF2020 aims to provide a platform to urban leaders, leading investors, urban planners, designers, builders, experts, and other participants in large-scale public and private projects that shape the image of Bulgarian cities to discuss and summarize good models and practices in the development of urban areas and the creation of a vibrant and functional city environment.
The topics in the program include:
- Financial instruments for urban infrastructure development
- Infrastructure and urban environment
- Development of urban areas
- The active investment zones of Sofia
For more information and free registration, please visit:2020en.udf.bg
Biotech Atelier 2020 will be held virtually on 24 – 25 September, via Cisco Webex.
2 Days | 30+ topics | 120+ speakers from around the Globe | 200+ organizations |1.000+ attendees
Biotech Atelier 2020 is the largest and the most intriguing edition of the series. The two days of the conference will cover relevant topics from Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Pharma Industry and Digitalization:
ATMPs | Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence | RWE | COVID-19: the new reality |Personalized Medicine | Patient centricity | Digital Therapeutics | Clinical Trials | Innovation and Investment | Plant Biotechnologies | Water and Biotechnologies
Over 120 speakers, tuning in from various points of the Globe, will authentically present their personal views on the topics of interest, enabling exciting discussions and giving ground to entirely new perspectives. Over 200 regional and global organizations will represent the science and business perspective and will join the discussions to give additional depth to the discussed topics. This year the conference is expecting over 1.000 attendees from around the Globe.
Biotech Atelier 2020 will be live-streamed on the website of the event. Attendees, joining via Cisco Webex, are invited to participate actively and send questions during the sessions via the Chat function. The most interesting ones will be discussed at the end of each panel.
Register now (free of charge) and claim your spot at the European Annual Biotech Conference!
If you are open to career opportunities and you want to meet professionals from all walks of life, join us at Tuk-Tam Hive 2020 – the event you don’t want to miss this September. During the event, you will meet more than 50 companies that hire, hear over 30 speakers and take a look at the products crafted by local Bulgarian startups, as well as to attend various career-related workshops and broaden your professional network.
The event will take place at Inter Expo Center on September 17, and online between 10 am and 17 pm. Find out more about Hive 2020 and register on the website of the event.
At the initiative of the International Economic Relations Center at BIA, our team will join the online B2B event FOOD CONNECTIONS 2020. FOOD CONNECTIONS is organized annually by the Belgian Food Industry Competitiveness Cluster Wagralim and aims to celebrate the innovation in the sector and create a network of companies, experts, universities, and research centers in Europe and worldwide.
This year the event will take place on 17th, 22nd, and 24th September. On behalf of Sofia Investment Agency, Maria Hristova, Head of the Investment Analysis Department, will participate in the webinar and the discussion session on 17 September.
The first day of the B2B event will focus on sustainability and best business practices during COVID-19. We will join the discussions on two main topics:
– The urgent digitalization – with examples of the successful adaptation and accelerated digitalization of startups and large companies in the time of crisis; the characteristics of the different participants in the sector; the transition from B2B to B2C model as a survival tool;
– Getting off to a good start in food E-commerce – what happened in the direct sales from producer/wholesaler to the consumer, distribution chain, competition, and the operational activities such as payments, logistics, and more.
The seminar will present an alternative perspective on e-commerce – that of the “seller.” It will focus on the success factors, the challenges, and the risks (particularly in the food industry), the critical steps in creating and launching an online store in the short-, medium- and long-run.
The meeting on 17 September, starts at 15:30 and will last until 17:00. More than 250 participants from 29 countries have confirmed their participation so far, including the USA, China, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, and others.
You can join FOOD CONNECTIONS 2020 and register for free until 15 September at the following address: https://foodconnections.b2match.io/
Sofia Investment Agency is an official partner of the leading forum Career Show 2020. The event will be held on 24 November 2020 in Arena Armeec and online on 25 November.
The organizers expect over 5,000 skilled professionals to contact 200 of the largest companies in Bulgaria. On 24 November in Arena Armeec Hall, job seekers and prospective employers will meet on an area of over four decares. The programme includes open access lecture- and workshop spaces, as well as a networking area. All activities will be carried out in compliance with all anti-epidemic measures.
Employers will have the opportunity to meet in person with pre-selected candidates, participate in the event’s programme, and position their company as an employer brand of choice in the leading expo for experts and companies.
The online event on 25 November will bring together some of the biggest companies in Sofia and Bulgaria with qualified staff from all over Bulgaria and Europe. An online matchmaking platform will allow the participants to filter the most promising candidates/employers by various criteria, and conduce pre-arranged personal video interviews.
We invite all companies in Sofia and Bulgaria to join the event and look for experts for their teams in the two days of Career Show 2020. Find out everything about the event and how to participate on the website of the forum here: https://careershow.bg/employers/
The Digitalization, Innovation and Investments Unit of Sofia Municipality presented the vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem in Sofia during the Startup Ecosystem Development webinar by StartupBlink, which took place on July 30, 2020 with the participation of entrepreneurs and ecosystem developers from different cities around the world. Ana Georgieva from Innovative Sofia presented Sofia’s development as one of the hottest entrepreneurial spots in Europe, a diversified tech hub with startups innovating across multiple industries, with a great number of stakeholders and supporting organisations on government, municipal and business level.
StartupBlink is among the world’s largest platforms for startups and research centres. The platform is working with dozens of stakeholders from the public sector on various modules including ecosystem promotion, mapping, and consulting. Two months ago, Sofia climbed two positions – tо 86th place among 1 000 cities in the 2020 edition of the Global Ecosystem Ranking Report by StartupBlink. In addition, the ranking now includes an updated profile of Sofia’s startup ecosystem and a case study about Sofia in the deep dive section of the report. Find out more about Sofia’s profile in ‘Global Ecosystem 2020’ here.
Highlights about Sofia’s startup ecosystem, presented during the webinar:
- – Since 2013, over 2000 startups have been created in Bulgaria, mainly in Sofia. Nowadays there are 650+ active startups and scaleups.
- – Around 1/3 of the founders are foreigners.
- – Approx. 15% of Bulgarian start-ups are in the deep tech sector, including AI, aerospace, robotics and IoT, biotech, createch, etc.
- – There are 15+ VC funds and a well-developed network of angel investors (angel association and angel investment clubs).
- – There are 30+ coworking spaces in the city
- – 220 high-schools, 15 universities and 30+ software academies offer IT, innovation and tech-related programs.
- – 42% of university students are in STEM fields
- – 30.2% of the employed in the ICT sector are women (vs.16.7% in the EU)
- – Sofia hosts many international flagship events (e.g. WEBIT, DigitalK, Innovation Explorer, TedX Sofia, Global Tech Summit, etc.)
- – In 2019, Sofia became a French Tech label city, joining 50 innovation and tech hubs across the Globe.
- In 2019, Sofia completed the Digital Transformation Strategy for the city Sofia (DTSS) to enhance the local tech ecosystem by turning the city into a market for the digital products created in Sofia.
- A new Big Data and AI Centre of Excellence – GATE, was launched in 2019.
To help those who consider settling down and explore business opportunities in Sofia, Innovative Sofia, the Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development department of Sofia Municipality published the first Sofia: Quality of Life guide.
In this step-by-step guide, you will find everything you need to know before you move: cost of living, study and work options, weather, leisure, culture and tourism opportunities, as well as how to find a home, how to register a bank account, how to travel across the city and explore Sofia as a local, and even a list of useful words and phrases.
Here are some reasons why living in Sofia sounds like a great idea!
- Expats rank Bulgaria 1st in the world in terms of cost of living.
- Bulgaria ranks 6th in the “Finding Friends” and 7th in the “Feeling at Home” indicators.
- 91% of expats are happy with their costs in Bulgaria.
- Sofia ranks 28th out of over 400 cities and regions worldwide in English proficiency. The most commonly spoken languages are English, German and Russian.
- Sofia ranks 27th of concentration of knowledge-intensive jobs among 278 European regions.
- 10.1 % of the working age population in Sofia is employed in Brain Business Jobs, which is more than twice the national average and higher than the European average 6.3%.
Download Sofia: Quality of Life now!
The City of Sofia will participate in the Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) initiative.
The ICC is the latest of the European Commission’s initiatives to build a green Europe by fostering intelligent and sustainable growth across European cities. The ICC seeks to help 100 smaller and medium-sized EU cities to support green, climate-neutral, sustainable growth, tackle the biggest urban challenges and improve the quality of life.
Innovative Sofia, the Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development department of Sofia Municipality, on behalf of the city, will manage the participation of the city in the European Commission’s initiative. The official launch of the ICC will take place between September 28 and October 2 via a series of virtual events throughout the entire week.
All the cities that will participate in the ICC will be announced during the first two weeks of July. We invite you to check the ICC website for updates on the selected cities – https://www.intelligentcitieschallenge.eu/
ICC builds on the successful Digital Cities Challenge, which saw 41 cities create a vision, strategy and roadmap for their digital transformation. Under the Digital Cities Challenge project of the EC, the Digital Transformation Strategy for Sofia was developed. EU experts, our team, the team of Innovative Sofia and over 100 local stakeholders, including Sofia-based companies with a total turnover of over BGN 3.23 billion and over 17,000 employees, took part in the process. On June 11, 2020, the Sofia City Council unanimously approved the Document. Here is a list of everything you might want to know about the Digital Transformation Strategy for Sofia.
ICC will focus on strategy implementation, a common platform for open data, a marketplace for intelligent city solutions, joint investments, new support mechanisms and a new international dimension. It will help Europe lead the way in creating smarter cities that are more sustainable and social. Through the ICC, cities will receive tailored support – in person, online, and as a community – to implement their transformation strategies. Next to expert advice tailored to each participating city, the ICC will offer regular network support activities and gatherings of the community, training and online toolboxes and mentoring from innovative mentor cities.
The ICC programme covers a 2.5-year period and builds upon a cycle of assessment of prioritized issues and needs, vision and roadmap definition, implementation and measurement, with the objective for cities to be transformed through the use of intelligent and advanced technologies.
Urban Tech just launched a series of monthly online webinar events dedicated to urban tech solutions that help cities shorten the road to recovery from the COVID19 crisis.
If you focus on Smart Cities and are responsible for city development or Urban Technology business and interested to learn how our cities define their strategy and tactical plan for now and after the crisis subsides, then these free webinars are for you.
Sofia Municipality was invited to take part in the Smart cities – urban tech solutions to shorten the road to recovery webinar to be held on July 9, 15:00 – 15:45 BST / 16:00 – 16:45 CEST.
On July 9, join the event to hear great experts:
> Innovative Sofia, Sofia Municipality
> MIDAS – Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency
> the fastest growing commercial real estate services firm Avison Young, and
> INREGU, the French national institute of research and education in urban management
In the upcoming meeting:
- Practical examples of tech solutions that have been introduced to help respond to the challenges caused by pandemics.
- How are cities equipped to cope with COVID-19 and what lessons can we learn from each other to future-proof?
- Has enough attention been paid to implementing solutions?
- How can innovation and technology help overcome obstacles to recovery?
- How to plan a post-pandemic-resistant city – obstacles versus opportunities.
Sofia ranks 1st in the Smart City Development category and 7th in the overall ranking of Emerging Europe for the best cities for doing business in Central and Eastern Europe – Business-Friendly Cities Perception Ranking 2020. Sofia is also in the Top 10 in the Quality of Life category, sharing the 5th place with Gdynia, Poland, Bratislava, and Slovakia. For the ranking, Emerging Europe investigated 75 cities in the region of developing Europe – capitals and cities with over 200,000 inhabitants.
The Business-Friendly Cities Perception Ranking 2020 is part of the Emerging Europe Awards 2020 – the third edition of a program that presents the best of Europe’s developing region and honors the achievements of individuals, public and private organizations, projects, and initiatives.
Budapest has been named the most business-friendly city. The Hungarian capital also tops two of the eight categories taken into account in the ranking – Brand, and Local Authority Support. Sofia, along with Tallinn, is the winner in the category Smart City Development. Tbilisi leads in Economic Potential, Łódź in Business Climate, Bucharest in Pool of Talent, Warsaw in Infrastructure and Connectivity, and Prague in Quality of Life. Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw lead the overall ranks, where Sofia ranks 7th.
Due to the restrictive measures around Covid-19, this year, the ranking was presented online. In its publication, Emerging Europe quoted the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova on the occasion of Sofia’s recognition as one of the two leading cities in the category Smart City Development.
“Our efforts are focused on implementing innovative solutions in city governance and urban development,” she says. “Sofia is changing and the most important thing is that more and more citizens are taking part in this change. Sofia’s most valuable asset is the city’s highly educated workforce that is demanding a constantly improving city environment. We are working with a consistent focus on one strategic priority – the improvement of the quality of life of its citizens.”
TNW’s and fDi Magazine’s international panel of judges have now selected the winners and top-performing cities in the debut research and ranking entitled Tech Cities of the Future 2020/21. Data was collected for 76 locations in Europe, 25 in total were shortlisted, Sofia being among them.
We are delighted to announce that Sofia has received a high score in the following 3 categories:
- – 20th in fDi and TNW Tech City of the Future 2020/21
- – 7th in fDi and TNW Tech City of the Future 2020/21 for Cost Effectiveness
- – 17th in fDi and TNW Tech City of the Future 2020/21 for F.D.I. Strategy
Technology Cities of the Future 2020/20 is a debut ranking focused on finding those European cities with the most promising prospects for start-ups, tech and innovation investment. London, Paris and Dublin are the top-ranking cities in the overall ranking.
Cities were evaluated under five categories: Economic Potential, Innovation and Attractiveness, FDI Performance, Cost Effectiveness and Start-up Environment. In addition, surveys were collected under a sixth category – FDI Strategy. Locations that ranked in the top 20 in this category were given bonus points, which contributed to their overall score.
We believe that the next inclusion of Sofia in a prestigious international ranking is of great importance for the positive image of the city and its strong position on the global map of innovation, technology and business hubs.
fDi Magazine, in partnership with TNW, has prepared this debut issue of Technology Cities of the Future 2020/21 to highlight the impact of tech hubs on the global economy. Silicon Valley, with its high concentration of hardware and software companies, is by far the most famous representation of a tech city – but the concept has been exported and replicated across the globe. Tech cities are hugely beneficial to local, national, and international economies. They create employment, attract investment, talent, and can help re-energise local pockets in cities and more remote areas. One thing is for sure: tech cities seldom emerge on their own, rather they are often the byproduct of resolute urban planning and government intervention, the report states.
The full document is available for free download: https://www.fdiintelligence.com/article/77846
fDi Intelligence is a department of Financial Times, specializing in areas relating to investment and promotion of the investment climate globally. The professional magazine targets
We are glad to announce that Sofia City Council unanimously approved the Strategy for Digital Transformation of Sofia!
The document focuses on four focus areas: e-government, utilities, transport, and ICT startup ecosystem. The Strategy was developed under the DigitalCitiesChallenge project of the European Commission with EU experts, our team, the team of Invest Sofia and over 100 local stakeholders, including Sofia-based companies with a total turnover of over BGN 3.23 billion and over 17,000 employees.
The Strategy for Digital Transformation of Sofia is important for the city because its implementation aims to:
- – develop and offer solutions supporting the digital transformation of the city;
- – identify or create markets for digital services at local, national or global levels, and facilitate the access to these markets;
- – support the system of innovation enabling the development and absorption of new digital services and smart solutions.
The full document is available here 👉 https://innovativesofia.bg/strategicheski-dokumenti/
A list of everything you might want to know about the Strategy is available on our webpage Digital Sofia here 👉https://investsofia.com/digitalna-sofia/
Once again, we thank the experts who participated in the creation of the Strategy. At the publication of the Strategy in June 2019, the experts, organizations and companies involved were just over 100. To date, our network of local stakeholders for the implementation of the Strategy includes nearly 200 people and/or entities.