Dr. Maria Hristova PhD., Invest Sofia: The key factor for attracting and retaining large international companies and for the development of Bulgarian ones is people.
In an interview for the “50 Reasons More” program on Radio Focus, the CEO of Invest Sofia told more about the challenges companies face in finding qualified staff and the advantage of working with qualified professionals at a mature age.
The call is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, with a primary focus on start-ups led by women entrepreneurs that are engaged in deep technology development. The initiative is funded by the Horizon Europe programme and offers a unique opportunity for start-ups to receive personalized acceleration, mentoring and grant funding, services and rewards totalling up to €1.125 million to support their growth. 14 companies will be funded under this call. All documentation and application forms are available on the official website: https://empowomen.eu/open-call-programme-plan/
EmpoWomen is a two-year initiative (2024-2025) aimed at supporting women-led deep tech companies from Europe’s emerging markets, outermost regions and associated countries. The programme aims to support women entrepreneurs with resources, mentoring and networking opportunities and to create a more inclusive ecosystem for women-led businesses.
Over 500 exhibitors and thousands of representatives of all segments of the food and beverage sector gathered between November 13 and 16 in Sofia at the five food exhibitions “Mesomania”, “Bulpek”, “Interfood & Drink” and Wine & Spirits Show.
The gross value added of the food and beverage industry in the country’s economy exceeds BGN 1.6 billion, over 6 thousand processing enterprises operate in Bulgaria, and the sector employs nearly 90,000 people, it became clear at the opening of the event.
During the international food exhibitions, the chief expert of the Investment Analysis Department at Invest Sofia, Dr. Lyudmil Ivanov PhD., met and talked with the Chairman of the Board of the Association of Meat Processors in Bulgaria, Atanas Urjanov, who are the main organizers of Mesomania.
The SEE Best Regional Development Project award was presented together with other prestigious technology awards at the SEE ITS Awards 2024 within the framework of the most significant forum for innovation, technology and outsourced business services in South East Europe – SEE ITS Summit. The award was received by Viktor Gusev, Head Investment & Business Development Department at Invest Sofia.
The international SEE ITS Awards were presented to leading companies for their innovative solutions and sustainable practices that are shaping the future of knowledge and technology in Southeast Europe. Among the winners are TELUS Digital, Proxiad SEE, Experian, EPAM, Ring Central, Scalefocus, DIGITALL and Accenture.
The SEE ITS Summit 2024 forum was organized with the partnership of Invest Sofia and within 2 days gathered nearly 300 leading experts and innovators from the region who discussed the changes needed to improve the business environment in the technology sector.
Economic growth, but with growing inequality – this is the main conclusion of the annual study on the economic and social development of the districts in Bulgaria, which was presented by our partners from the Institute for Market Economics (IME).
The presentation of “Regional Profiles: indicators for development” was attended by the CEO of Invest Sofia, Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. For more than 10 years the IME experts have been analyzing the development indicators of the different regions of the country and have prepared a study unique in its scale and depth. “Regional Profiles 2024” shows that the outpacing economic growth in several of Bulgaria’s smaller regions continues, with Sofia’s share in the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP) gradually declining. However, the capital retains its leading role with 41% of GDP in 2022, or 68.7 billion BGN, followed by Plovdiv and Stara Zagora.
While Plovdiv contributes 6.5% of GDP, Stara Zagora’s economy, fuelled by a strong energy sector, reaches 6.2%. The recovery of tourism is a key factor for the positive dynamics in Varna and Burgas, while industrial growth is supporting economic development in the periphery of Sofia. In contrast, the districts of Vidin, Silistra and Dobrich remain with lower growth, further widening the differences in the income and the quality of life.
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New partner of Invest Sofia in the cause of improving the business environment in the capital. The CEO of the Agency Dr. Maria Hristova PhD signed a memorandum with “Move Properties” Ltd – a company in the real estate sector.
The document was signed by the company’s manager Viktor Binarev. The company works with a wide range of local and foreign companies, including traders, tenants, institutions, investment funds and developers. Their team has a strong experience in sales and real estate. They help businesses of all calibers to find the space that fits their changing needs – whether it’s a brand new office or renegotiating terms for an existing one.
More than 140 entrepreneurs take part in Bulgaria’s national stand at Europe’s largest technology conference Web Summit in Lisbon.
Invest Sofia is represented at the event by Kristin Dermendzhiev, Chief Expert from the Investment Analysis Department. In the Portuguese capital he met and talked with the Head of the Trade and Economic Section at the Bulgarian Embassy Antoaneta Kalauzka.
We were also partners at the special event presenting the Bulgarian IT sector, called Beyond the Code, which was organized by the Breaking Grounds initiative in partnership with the Bulgarian Small and Medium Emterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA). They are also the organisers of the Bulgarian institutional pavilion at the forum.
More than 3,000 companies are represented at this year’s edition of the technology conference, there are nearly 72,000 participants, more than 1,000 investors and more than 900 speakers, including American entrepreneur and musician Pharrell Williams, Microsoft Vice President Brad Smith, Portuguese Prime Minister Luiz Montenegro, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and others.
Bulgaria and Romania dominate the outsourcing industry in Southeast Europe, with 43% of the region’s service providers located in Sofia and Bucharest. The data is from the Southeast Europe Outsourcing Industry Report, which covers over 2,200 companies from 11 countries and was presented on the second day of the SEE ITS Summit 2024.
The event, organised by AIBEST in partnership with Invest Sofia, was attended today by our CEO Dr Maria Hristova PhD. Head of Investment Analysis, Victor Gusev, took part in the discussion “Ecosystem Review: Overcoming today’s challenges for tomorrow’s improvements”.
“For investors today, the quality of human resources is more important than costs. The economy will only grow if we invest more in developing talent and building a strong city and state brand. Taxes also play a role, but the key to success is people. When investors see quality projects and successful outcomes, they will invest more in their businesses here,” said Victor Gusev. He stressed that Invest Sofia strives to position Sofia as an attractive investment destination for industries with high added value. “We do not want to be a ‘low cost’ destination based only on low taxes and wages. To succeed, we need a serious government policy to develop the human resource, with a long-term vision and stability of the government to ensure at least 3-4 years of predictability. Talent is what drives the economy forward, and it is our main resource for sustainable growth,” said the head of Invest Sofia’s Investment Analysis Department in the discussion.
Europe’s largest technology conference brings together once again the people and companies that are redefining the global technology industry. More than 1,000 speakers and representatives of more than 1,200 start-ups are taking part in the new edition.
The chief expert from the Investment Analysis department at Invest Sofia Kristin Dermendzhiev also joined the forum. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the event, which runs from the 11th to 14th of November.
Our agency is part of the institutional stand organized by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency to promote Bulgaria and sectors of our economy at home and abroad. The project is implemented under the Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises Programme 2021 – 2027.
At the institutional booth the participants will present the activities of the organizations they represent, the development of the Bulgarian startup ecosystem and the positioning of Bulgaria as a regional technology hub in the Balkans.
The agreement was signed by our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. and the company’s manager Bozhidar Georgiev. Stage Coorking’s shared office space offers modern and functional work solutions suitable for freelancers, start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as teams of large organizations.
Work&Share Coworking Space strives to build a community that supports innovation and entrepreneurship by providing an environment where people can work, develop and inspire each other. The company has two locations in Sofia and regularly organizes events, lectures and networking gatherings that support the professional development and expansion of client contacts. By partnering with Stage Coaching Ltd, Invest Sofia will be able to more effectively develop Sofia’s entrepreneurial potential and attract innovative companies and professionals.
Invest Sofia is a partner in the organization of AIBEST at the two-day forum for innovation, technology and outsourcing business services Southeast Europe. The forum is under the motto “Unleashing future horizons” and discusses trends and challenges in the sector.
The first roundtable of the programme was attended by the Head of Investment Analysis department at Invest Sofia Viktor Gusev, who will also take part in the panel discussions tomorrow. The Agency’s activities are presented at a special stand, where the experts from the Investment Analysis Department introduce the participants to our various initiatives to support business and innovation. The event concludes with the presentation of the prestigious SEE ITS Awards 2024 for outstanding contributions in the field of good business practices, achievements and the development of a favorable environment for the industry.