The chief experts from the Agency, Radostina Belcheva and Kristin Demerdzhiev, joined the event, which brought together over 100 partners and like-minded people of the global network for the success of young people in Bulgaria. During the meeting, the main topics that were discussed were: “What adults can learn from young people”, “How professionals in Bulgaria can help them by developing key skills” and “How business can be part of Bulgaria’s brighter future”.
“Tuk-Tam” presented their new direction, in which they want to work with every single company in Bulgaria and their teams, so that young people can have access to better examples, first-hand advice, internship or work opportunities all year round and overall – better chances to develop their full potential.
Our partners at the Institute for Market Economics organized the first annual forum on the state of economic freedom and the rule of law. The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD took part in the event called “Growth in turbulent times”. A partner in the organization is the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Among the main topics that were discussed were “What are the major economic challenges and will we get out of the trap of being the last in the EU?”, “What have the countries of Central and Eastern Europe achieved in two decades within the EU and why Bulgaria is still in the queue?” and “Is there an end to the political crisis in our country and what is the way forward?”.
The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), together with the Bulgarian-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and with the support of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a Bulgarian-Ukrainian business forum with bilateral meetings. Our CEO Maria Hristova PhD joined the event.
The main goal of the event is to expand the trade and economic relations between the two countries, as well as to create prerequisites for the establishment of new contacts between entrepreneurs and companies, considering the complicated and at the same time dynamic situation in Ukraine.
The business forum provided an opportunity for the representatives of Bulgarian enterprises from the sectors: ICT, including fintech and modern technologies, energy, food industry and agriculture, logistics and infrastructure to meet new potential partners, as well as to make direct contacts with enterprises from Ukraine .
“Data Protection and the Road Ahead” is the motto of the GDPR, AI and Data -Driven Regulations conference organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, the main purpose of which is to discuss the trends in the field of data protection in the rapid development of the economy and the related digital challenges, that are facing the multinational companies.The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, and Radostina Belcheva, chief expert at the Agency, took part in the event. The main topics of the conference were “Digital transformation in the post-pandemic period”, “Technology evolution – technologies with artificial intelligence”, “Challenges related to data protection in the new digital environment”; “Interaction with other EU laws and legal initiatives in the data-driven digital economy” and “The Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Personal Data and the upcoming challenges in the digital environment”.
The CEO of Invest Sofia – Maria Hristova PhD participated in the event organized by the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association and the European Economic and Social Committee. The half-day high-level conference brought together European and Bulgarian stakeholders, politicians, representatives of industry, civil society, academia and the media. The main topics discussed at the event were: the most efficient way to use the EU’s capabilities and “strengths” within the framework of the “European Strategy for Economic Security in Energy” and what is the best way to connect the local stakeholders for knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices related to sustainable energy systems and ways of storage.
Invest Sofia signed a memorandum of cooperation with “Dream Business Solutions”. The company has more than 30 years of history in business consulting worldwide. In their 4 years on the Bulgarian market, their growth methodology has been applied in over 500 businesses and 5 large municipalities. The team offers consulting and expert assistance that can guarantee a 61% increase in profit, retention of key employees and increased team efficiency, lower prices for the end user in times of inflation and lower costs by applying the most appropriate technologies and strategies.
The memorandum was signed by Boyko Prodanov – manager of “Dream Business Solutions” and the CEO of Invest Sofia Maria Hristova PhD. The main goal of our cooperation is to join our efforts to promote, support and facilitate economic cooperation between our business partners. The company also becomes part of our Sofia IS initiative, which unites the local administration and companies from the city to provide integrated service for investor inquiries and free assistance in the process of establishing operations in Sofia.
Our partner Bilateral Chamber of Commerce Bulgaria-Romania (BCCBR) with the support of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, are organizing an event on the topic: “Challenges for businesses in Bulgaria when applying competition law. Practical guidelines”. It will be held on April 18, 2024 at 9.30 am in the building of the Bulgarian Industrial Association
The event focuses on current topics and challenges facing businesses in relation to the application of the competition law, such as: Agreements and concerted practices that distort competition; Prohibited practices when participating in tenders, public procurement and preparation of tender documentation; What constitutes the abuse of a dominant position; Unfair commercial practices, misleading and comparative advertising. Proven experts with many years of experience will present examples from Bulgaria and the world about unfair trade practices and will give guidelines in relation to the application of competition protection rules to minimize risks in companies. The following lawyers will take part in the event Nikolay Guginski – partner in the law firm “Jingov, Guginski, Kyuchukov and Velichkov”, Desislava Yordanova – with over 25 years of practice in the field of competition law and attorney, Vladislav Antonov – senior lawyer with over 15 years of experience in the field of competition law, commercial and European law and consumer protection. The event is specifically pointed at people directly involved in making business decisions, representatives of legal, sales and marketing departments, employees from the private sector and government administration. Pre-registration is required by April 15, 2024 at the following link.
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, attended the official opening of the laboratory, which tests technological products produced for global car manufacturers in Visteon’s engineering centers around the world. Among the official guests at the ceremony were the executive director of the company Sachin Lavande, the ambassador of the United States of America to Bulgaria H.E. Kenneth Merten, the Minister of Innovation and Growth Milena Stoicheva and the Deputy Mayor for Finance and Health of the Metropolitan Municipality – Ivan Vassilev.
With the investment exceeding 10 million dollars and a team of over 70 highly qualified Bulgarian specialists, the laboratory will test the technological products that the company’s engineering centers in Europe produce for the world’s car manufacturers. The equipment with which the teams work has been specially delivered to the laboratory from Germany, Austria, the USA and Asia, and meets the standards developed by the international standardization organizations ISO and IEC. The laboratory complements the rich portfolio of services that Visteon’s technological center in Sofia offers. This confirms the engineering department in our country as the backbone of the company’s operations throughout Europe, which continues to actively develop. In 2022, Visteon became part of Invest Sofia’s initiative for individual administrative service “Green Card”.
The purpose of this memorandum is to create a practical framework for the development of closer cooperation in relation to the mission of SMPIA aimed at improving the local entrepreneurial system, to support regional and national education programs, as well as to offer assistance to foreign and domestic investors, who wish to establish and/or expand their business on the territory of the Metropolitan Municipality.
To achieve this goal, SMPIA and IBM Bulgaria will make efforts to promote the city as a good place for investments, by exchanging useful information and assisting investors, the municipality and start-up companies to turn good ideas into real projects. They will also cooperate in the implementation of various “soft measures” to serve as a tool for improving the living environment and business development in the area.
The memorandum was signed by Maria Hristova, Senior Executive Director, SMPIA and Georgi Ganev, General Manager, IBM Bulgaria.
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, participated in the fifth anniversary edition of the initiative. The official ceremony was organized in cooperation with Sofia Municipality, and there were more than 100 nominations for the prizes. The company “Eldrive Bulgaria” became the laureate in the category “Innovative idea”, the award for “Innovative project” went to “Melexis”, the criteria for their award was the level of innovation, commercial potential and social responsibility. The company “Capto” took the award in the “Startup” category, and the winner of the prize in the “Project for corporate social responsibility” category was “Odaya Home”.The award “Business Person of the Year” went to Peter Ruben, country manager of KBC Group in Bulgaria (KBC Group) and CEO of UBB, and the special prize of the jury went to “Proxiad”.
Among the official guests of the jubilee edition of “Innovation Awards” were the Ambassador of France in Bulgaria Joël Meyer, the Minister of Innovation and Growth in resignation Milena Stoycheva and Mila Nenova, executive director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency.
Тhe 12-week intensive IBM Sofia Accelerator professional program was launched оn March 29, at the Campus X Event Centre . The CEO of Invest Sofia Maria Hristova PhD attended the event. The initiative of the technology giant is focused on startups that aim to increase their knowledge of the industry and the new technologies, allowing them to expand their business prospects and attract investor support. Following the completion of the program, each participating company will have the opportunity to present their work at an investor showcase day, which will also be attended by IBM executives, media representatives and prominent industry figures. IBM plans to organize two 3-month programs per year, one from April to June and the other one from October to December.
The energy, agriculture, tourism and light industry sectors were the highlights of the Bulgarian-Moldovan business forum, which took place in Chisinau and was organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with the Moldovan Investment Agency, and with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Bulgaria . The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, also took part in the event. She presented the activities of the Agency and our initiatives to support business in the capital. There were more than 60 participants in the forum from both countries. The Minister of Energy of Moldova Victor Parlikov and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry of Bulgaria Irina Stonova took part in the opening of the forum. More information can be found on the BCCI website.