Sofia Included in the International Project of Bloomberg Philanthropies for Digital Transformation Management 

Bloomberg Philanthropies invited Sofia to participate in an international training project on digital transformation management in European cities. The initiative is aimed at leaders in urban governance and policies for digitalization of the urban environment and innovation. Our capital is already part of the program and is represented by Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation, Economic Development and Investment, and Elitsa Panayotova, Project Coordinator of Green Sofia. 

“The network between 21 European capitals to meet the challenges of digital transformation will help to share knowledge and good practices, which will provide synergies and inevitably accelerate urban transformation. Sofia, being the 14th largest city in Europe, can make a significant contribution to this process,” Vladimir Danailov commented on Sofia’s participation in the program. “Digitalization is the basis of smart cities. By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in large cities and the increased pressure on cities will need to be alleviated by new innovative solutions,” he further commented. 

The inaugural meeting was held on January 10 in London. The opening event was attended by teams from all participating cities, including Amsterdam, Madrid, Ljubljana, Athens, Dublin, Vilnius, Riga, Brussels, Budapest, Prague, Stockholm and others.

The new Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Innovation Initiative is aimed at accelerating digital innovation. The goal of the program is to help European cities deliver high-impact digital services, and share lessons learned with cities around the rest of the world. City officials will have access to a specialized executive education program delivered by Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School faculty to strengthen the skills necessary for leading digital innovation in their cities.

The Initiative provides cities with the opportunity to participate in projects, apply for funding grants and for professional development programs for city management leaders.

You can find the official announcement here.

You can also follow the social media accounts of Sofia’s Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation, Economic Development and Investment Mr. Vladimir Danailov on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for news and highlights from digital Sofia.