Invest Sofia took part in a series of meetings as part of the launch of ‘Bulgarian, Belgian, Luxemburg Economic Forum’ – a non-governmental organization that aims at supporting the economic, trade and investment relations between the three countries. The Agency joined the project at the invitation of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), which is the initiator and partner of the project along with organizations from the two Central European countries.
The expert meeting was attended by the Chief Executive Officer of Invest Sofia, Ph.D. Maria Hristova, as well as Victor Gusev, Head of Investment Analysis Department at the Agency. We had a fruitful discussion with Willy Van Impe, Honorary Consul General of Bulgaria in the Kingdom of Belgium (Flanders region), Luc Sougne, Honorary Consul of our country in the Kingdom of Belgium (Wallonia region), Philippe Beke, former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Bulgaria, Dimitrios Zois, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Luxembourg, and Gabriela Dimitrova from the International Cooperation and International Organizations Directorate at BCCI. We discussed the opportunities for economic cooperation, the priority industries in our countries, and how we can link businesses and support further B2B activities.
In addition to our joint meeting, members of the initiative group will have discussions with experts from the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the BCCI, after which they will visit the city of Vratsa for meetings with the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry and businesses from the city and the region.
Between March 27 and April 1, Sofia hosted the pilot edition of the Accelerator Program for Startups in the Field of Agriculture between China and the CEE Countries. Invest Sofia was an institutional partner of the event and at the invitation of the organizers from the Center for the Promotion of Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture between China and the CEE Countries the Chief Executive Director, Ph.D. Maria Hristova joined as a member of the jury that voted for the winners of the accelerator.
42 companies from 11 countries applied for the program, and 20 startups hit the final competition on April 1 to present their innovative solutions in agriculture in Sofia Tech Park to the jury members, investors, representatives of academia and business, experts, media, and diplomats from CEE and China. The projects covered areas such as beekeeping, food waste reduction, farmer-to-end-user chain solutions, soil enrichment for vineyards, biodegradable packaging, air quality control and energy efficiency of buildings, plant protection technologies, and controlled release of bioactive components, smart irrigation systems, AI and IoT application in agriculture and much more. 
For the accelerator program, Sofia welcomed startup founders from China, Hungary, Greece, and other CEE countries. At the finals in Sofia Tech Park, the Hungarian startup bioreaction.net won third place and €10,000 in funding. Second place and a €15,000 prize went to the Greek startup farm-b.com and their smart platform for visualization and analyses of agro-data for production flow, crop status, machinery routine, meteo data, and many more. We are glad that the big winner of 1st place and a prize of 25,000 euros went to a company based in Sofia. This is the biodegradable laminate packaging startup LAM’ON. A few days ago, the company received yet another prestigious award – for the most innovative startup during the Innovation Awards by the French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“We appreciate the exceptional and timely assistance regarding the pilot edition of the “Accelerator Program for Agricultural Startups between China and Central and Eastern European Countries”. Thank you for your support in this event, and we will be happy to continue our partnership in the future”, the Managing Director of the Center for the Promotion of Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture between China and the CEE Countries, Ph.D. Momchil Stanishev wrote in an official letter to Invest Sofia.
The final competition was broadcast live on YouTube. We invite everyone who
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova, Ph.D. took part in the opening ceremony of the 22nd edition of the largest career event in the country. The National Career Days started in Sofia on April 1 and will take place in 6 cities in the country up until April 11.
The forum gathers leading employers, their open positions, and career opportunities. Nearly 100 companies have registered for this year’s edition. In partnership with BESCO and AIBEST, the forum also sets up a Startup zone with a focus on the startup ecosystem in the country and the opportunities for developing and attracting young entrepreneurs. In a dedicated area, visitors will meet representatives of some of the most interesting and fast-growing young companies. The organizer of the event is the HR services company JobTiger. To date, more than 53,000 people have started their career path from the National Career Days.
Find out more information about the event here: https://careerdays.bg/bg/national-careerdays
The Bulgarian Investment Agency (BIA) presented the seventeenth Investor of the Year awards. At the invitation of BIA, Maria Hristova Ph.D., CEO at Invest Sofia, and Viktor Gusev, Head of the Investment Analysis Department, joined the official award ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sofia.
The competition once again featured the most significant investment projects implemented in Bulgaria in 2022. The applications were assessed according to a number of criteria, such as the volume of the investment, the number of new jobs created, the region where a new production unit was created or an existing enterprise was expanded, etc. The nominations of over 50 Bulgarian companies from all sectors of the economy were considered. 
Three Sofia-based companies grabbed Investor of the Year 2022 awards. Robert Bosch got the award for Investment in Human Capital. The Green Investment prize went to the Sofia-based company for the production of armored vehicles International Armored Group. In the Best Startup category, the award was presented to Ampeco – the Sofia software company that develops a platform for charging stations for e-vehicles.
Ruse-based Vitte Automotive Bulgaria received the award for Investment in Business Expansion. In the category Investment in Innovative Business won Intuitive Surgical Bulgaria – the Bulgarian entity of the Swiss company for medical equipment Intuitive Surgical Sarl. Three companies were awarded in the Sustainable Business category – Carlsberg Bulgaria, Libher Hausgerete Maritsa, and Teclas Bulgaria. This year the Burgas Municipality won the award in the category “Municipality in Bulgaria with the most investments for 2022. 
For the first time in the annual BIA awards, awards for Awakener and National Cause were presented. In the Awakener category, the prize received Prof. Martin Vechev from the INSAIT Institute – the first institute in Eastern Europe for computer science, artificial intelligence, and technology, structured as a special unit at SU “St. Kliment Ohridski” in partnership with the two largest tech universities of Switzerland – ETH Zurich and EPFL. In the National Cause category, the award went to Andrey Arnaudov, co-founder of Bulgaria Wants You initiative.
Alcomet – Shumen became Investor of the Year for 2022. The award was presented by President Rumen Radev.
The Sofia Municipal Privatization & Investment Agency (Invest Sofia), the Sofia Development Association and the Sofia Municipal Guarantee Fund for SMEs (MGFSME) hosted a meeting with companies and employers to discuss issues related to the integration of refugees into the labor market in our city. 
The event was organized under a project led by the Sofia Development Association, funded by UNHCR, and focused on improving the conditions for the integration of refugees in Sofia. Companies that already employ refugees and those that would like to employ but need more information and guidance took part in the meeting.
The CEO of Invest Sofia presented to the participants the dedicated website, which was created with the support of the Sofia Municipality just a week after the start of the war in Ukraine. The website aims at supporting the process of hiring Ukrainian refugees. Almost 30% of all job seekers registered on the platform have already managed to find a job. 
Rukia Abdul Aziz, UNHCR Integration Associate, and Nikolay Tsenkov, Manager at MGFSME presented various financial and non-financial incentives and instruments to help employers.
The Sofia Development Association is planning a series of similar events during 2023. The project “Support for the development of integration policies and services for refugees in Sofia” is implemented with the financial support of UNHCR.
UNHCR Bulgaria and SofiaLab presented the initiative “Socially responsible for integration: Measures to support employers and access of refugees to the labor market in Sofia”.
Maria Hristova, CEO of Invest Sofia presented data on the labor market in Sofia and the new platform for bringing together employers and refugees looking for work. UNHCR Bulgaria presented initiatives and instruments for the integration of refugees in Bulgaria. 
It is a common misconception that refugees have a low level of education, live on handouts, and can be a social burden. In fact, refugees may have had to leave everything behind, but what they bring with them is a wealth of skills and experience and a strong motivation to work and contribute to the well-being of their new communities.
At the invitation of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), our team took part in a B2B online event with companies from Pakistan. Victor Gusev, Head of the “Investment Analysis” department, presented the investment profile, priority industries, and the business environment in Sofia during the meetings organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the city of Sialkot, Pakistan and the Embassy of Bulgaria in Pakistan.
During the event, the latest information on the economic relations between the two countries was presented. The organisers presented the areas with the greatest potential for trade and investment between our countries.
The city of Sialkot is known as the export hub of Pakistan. It focuses on the production of globally distributed sports goods (including the soccer balls for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar), sports accessories, leather goods, medical equipment (surgical, dental), and clothing (including protective, military uniforms, and more). The main export markets for Sialkot are the USA and many European countries, with local companies looking for opportunities to expand destinations.
Bulgarian companies and entrepreneurs exploring the Pakistani market joined the event to discuss business opportunities with local institutions, companies, and future partners.
If you are interested in cooperation with companies from Sialkot and Pakistan or you are exploring opportunities in the South Asian country, you can contact our team for assistance or reach out to the Directorate of International Cooperation and International Organizations at BCCI by phone on 02 8117 489 or by email at interdpt@bcci.bg.
Between March 13 and 15, representatives from the Association of Indonesian Municipalities (APEKSI) and the municipality of Semarang – one of the most populated cities in Indonesia – were on a study visit to Sofia. The visit was organized under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) program, an initiative funded by the European Union. The meetings in Sofia aimed to promote cooperation between the two cities in the field of sustainable urban mobility and good administrative practices in large cities.
The CEO of Invest Sofia Ph.D. Maria Hristova and Viktor Gousev, Head of the Investment Analysis department met with Mr. Mukhamad Khadhik, Assistant for Government of Regional Secretary (Semarang), Mr. Endro Pudyo Martantono, Head of Transportation Department (Semarang), Mrs. Indah Wibinastiti, General Manager at the Association of Indonesia Municipalities (Jakarta), Mrs. Dini Laraswati, IURC Indonesia Coordinator (Jakarta), and Pablo Gándara, Team Leader IURC Asia & Australasia. The guests were interested in the activities of Invest Sofia and the strategies and best practices we apply to attract investors to the city. Maria Hristova and Victor Gousev presented Sofia’s economic profile, the priority industries and the incentives in support of setting up or expanding business activities in the city, including the Sofia IS initiative, the Green Card for administrative service, networking activities with local and international businesses and entrepreneurial organizations. Vladimir Tomov – President of the Investment Council at BCCI, presented best practices in the infrastructure projects, accomplished through funding by international funds. 
Funded by the European Union, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme promotes cooperation between cities on sustainable urban development and builds partnerships between EU and non-EU cities. The visit of our colleagues from Semarang is a follow-up to the study visit of Sofia city experts to Semarang, one of Indonesia’s most populous cities, which took place in June 2022.
Semarang is the capital and largest city of Central Java province. The city administration there is interested in improving its public transport system, especially tram transport, reflecting on the successful practices of Sofia. These include charging facilities in public transport, the SofiaCoin mobile app created under the INNOAIR project, measures to improve air quality, and initiatives to encourage more citizens to use public transport.
The three-day program included meetings with Mr. Barbalov, Deputy Mayor for Transport, representatives of Sofia Municipality, Sofia Electric Transport, the Urban Mobility Centre, Sofia Development Association and other stakeholders. It will include several
At the invitation of the Catalan organization Biocat, the Senior Executive Director of Invest Sofia, PhD Maria Hristova, visited the technical base of the organization in Barcelona and met with representatives of the municipality of the Spanish city. The visit follows an invitation by Dr. Montse Daban Marín, Director of Science Policies and Internationalization at Biocat and aimed to discuss topics of mutual interest, future joint initiatives, including an official delegation in June this year related to mutual life sciences and healthcare projects between Sofia-based companies and organizations from the ecosystem of the northeastern Spanish region. Our hosts introduced us to their activities, and we talked about EU-funded projects for which we could apply as a consortium.
Biocat is a strategic stakeholder and catalyst for building, promoting and projecting the Catalan life sciences and healthcare ecosystem, known as the BioRegion of Catalonia. The organization was created in 2006 at the initiative of the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council as a public-private foundation whose mission is to identify the needs of the BioRegion and implement a strategy and action plan to maximize the economic and social impact of the life sciences and healthcare innovation ecosystem in Catalonia.
Biocat brings together over 1,500 companies and organizations in Catalonia: administration, companies (biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology and services), universities, hospitals, research centers and institutes, science parks and sector support organizations. The cluster strives to position the region as one of the main centers of healthcare innovation in Europe and to connect ecosystem stakeholders with international players for collaborative research, knowledge transfer, internationalization, access to capital, attracting investment, generating synergies and opportunities for growth and scaling.
The meeting with organizations from the BioRegion of Catalonia was part of the B2B networking during MWC 2023 in Barcelona – Europe’s largest and most influential event in the field of connectivity and mobile tech. The exhibition attracted over 88,500 visitors from 202 countries. Over 2,000 start-ups and international leaders were part of the exhibition area, and over 1,000 speakers and top industry leaders participated in the conference program. Over 56% of those who attended came from industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem, indicating the growing importance of mobile technology in a wide range of industries. The 4YFN segment of the conference, which is dedicated to startups and entrepreneurs, welcomed almost 800 exhibitors, more than 375 speakers, and over 250 pitching sessions.
The Sofia Municipal Privatization and Investment Agency (Invest Sofia) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the HR management company “Manpower Bulgaria” OOD. The CEO of Invest Sofia PhD Maria Hristova and Director of Sales and Business Development of “Manpower Bulgaria” Maria Stoeva signed the Agreement and discussed upcoming joint activities at an official meeting between the two agencies.
The Bulgarian office of the international company will support our team with business consultations for new and existing businesses; analysis and reports; publicity support; provision of data from the regional Star survey that investigates wages, social benefits, and labor market trends; free access to publications; consultations to companies regarding employees career development; consultations for educational programs and trainings; consultations on assessment strategies, etc.
With offices in over 80 countries worldwide, ManpowerGroup is a global leader in permanent and temporary employment, providing business optimization and competitiveness solutions for SMEs and large enterprises. The local team of “Manpower Bulgaria” has been applying the latest global practices since entering the market in 2006 and continues to improve its expertise.
Under the agreed partnership, the HR company is now part of Invest Sofia’s network under the Sofia IS initiative for cooperation between the city administration and independent Sofia-based companies in providing integrated services to investors who want to set up or further expand its business operations in Sofia. The international expertise of “Manpower Bulgaria” will help us in providing expert and tailored consultations to the companies that reach out for guidance on how to form teams for their new projects in the Bulgarian capital.
Invest Soifa’s Senior Executive Director Dr. Maria Hristova is on a series of meetings during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona. The forum is the largest and most influential event in Europe for the connectivity ecosystem and gives the stage to global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, content owners and industry experts interested in the future of tech.
Our partner in the B2B meetings is ACCIÓ, Catalonia Trade & Investment – the Catalan Government agency for foreign investment and business competitiveness that promotes innovation, trade, and funding of Catalan companies and startups and offers specialised one-stop-shop services to international investors and corporations, attracting foreign direct investment to Barcelona and Catalonia. A core mission of the Agency is the internationalisation opportunities for the local companies, as well as networking between Catalonia companies and partners from other countries in Europe and globally.
During the meetings, Dr. Maria Hristova presented to Spanish companies, part of the ACCIÓ’s network, the activities of Invest Sofia and Sofia as an investment destination. The Catalan Government agency provided us with an e-catalog with the profiles of Spanish companies that are actively investigating opportunities for partnerships and expansion in new markets. The catalog is available here. We encourage all Sofia-based companies to check out the companies listed in the catalog. You can contact our team if you are interested in contacting any of the companies or in opportunities to set up activities in Barcelona and Spain. The Catalan government agency for foreign investments is a city-to-city partner, which has declared its readiness to assist Bulgarian companies interested in starting business operations in Catalonia.
MWC 2023 takes place from February 27 to March 2. More B2B meetings are coming up in Barcelona. Follow our website and social profiles for more useful information from MWC 2023.
At an official ceremony in Sofia, the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce presented its annual German Economy Awards which highlights companies with a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian-German economic relations for the previous year.
According to the data presented during the event, trade between Sofia and Berlin reached a record of 11 billion euros in 2022. Despite the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Germany remains the main trade partner of our country with exported goods and services for 6,195 billion euros and imports for 4,932 billion euros. The Chamber believes that both countries should encourage projects and investments in areas such as energy, decarbonization, and sustainability.
AHK Bulgarien hands out statuettes in four categories – “Large Enterprise”, “Small and Medium Enterprise”, “Social Responsibility” and “Startup Company”. Among the evaluation criteria are: investments in Bulgaria, the number of created new jobs, increase in trade with Germany (import or export), initiatives towards increasing the qualifications of employees, environment and climate action projects, social impact, innovations, energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies, etc.
We are glad that again Sofia-based companies have been awarded. Bosch Bulgaria received recognition for their activities in the “Large enterprise” category, Dronamics for “Small and medium-sized enterprise”, again Bosch Bulgaria in the “Social responsibility” category, and Varna’s Kinetik Automotive was awarded for a start-up company.
At the invitation of the Chamber, our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova joined the ceremony. Among the official guests were also the Minister of Innovation and Growth Stefan Savov, the ambassadors in both countries – H.E. Irene Plank and HE Elena Shekerletova, as well as representatives of AHK member companies.