The contest features its 12th edition. It is organized by the Applied Research and Communications Fund, Enterprise Europe Network – Bulgaria, by the support of the European Commission and the media partnership of Bloomberg TV Bulgaria and Investor.
The contest aims to encourage local enterprises to innovate by showcasing successful and innovative Bulgarian companies into the public eye.
The President Mr. Rosen Plevneliev of the Republic of Bulgarian presented honorary statuettes to Elektrosfera Ltd in the area “Market Leadership” and Doli Media Studio Ltd in the area “Innovation in creative industries”. Five other innovative Bulgarian companies also received honorary award during the Twelfth National Innovation Forum, held on 7 December 2016.
This year participants were awarded in eight categories according to the impact of their innovations:
Area “Market Leadership”
Elektrosfera and its brand Antelope Audio is a world leader in digital audio technologies. The company was founded in Bulgaria by Igor Levin (an American), who was the first one to introduce the use of atomic clock in musical engineering as a radical innovation. The entire development and production cycle is carried out in Bulgaria. The newest product of the company is Goliath, which is the world’s only audio interface with an atomic clock and maximum possible number of 68 channels for converting digital and analogue content. Electrosfera’s technologies are used by the largest sound engineering studios in the USA, Great Britain and Japan, by Grammy performers, and for sound recording of high-budget films.
Area “Innovation in creative industry”
Doli Media is a premium studio that supports the most modern (and even experimental) technologies in the cinema field for production and post-production of content. The studio is the only place outside Hollywood where simultaneous mastering, colour correction and displaying of final film preview with a quality of a projection in a cinema is possible. Combining the technologies Dolby Atmos Premium, ACES workflow and 4K DCI is a global challenge that is overcome by the original know-how of the studio for perfect quality of sound and vision.
Area “Innovation powered by talent”
Software University was founded in 2013 as one of the solutions for the preparation of high-quality personnel for the IT industry in Bulgaria. The university applies the model “learning by doing” to train cadres for the software industry and to support entrepreneurship. Over 120 000 people have been trained through the courses of the SoftUni network. SoftUni is a partner with accredited Bulgarian universities and more than 60 companies and NGOs.
Area “Innovation Management”
Scale Focus is a leader in the development and integration of software solutions and management of data, information and processes. The company applies leading practices in innovation management, including: generating and implementing new ideas; life cycle of innovation; results from innovation activity. The company encourages the development of innovations with market potential among its team members through flexible working hours, internal incubators and hackathons.
Area “Green Innovation”
Tangra is a family-run manufacturing company with a long tradition in the field of ventilation, air-conditioning and heating equipment. They produce and develop their own original energy-saving ventilation systems, which recuperate up to 94% of the energy. Their compact systems are especially suitable for school classrooms and have been successfully introduced in Portugal. The company is a leader on the Balkans and among the first in Europe to introduce energy recuperation in ventilation systems. They export to over 15 countries.
Area “Innovation for quality of life”
Sintal uses a patented formula for the production of dental alloys with a nickel and cobalt base, deploying the methods of powder metallurgy. The alloys are with a very high chemical purity, with the concentration of Ni2+ (nickel) being more than 20 times less than the standard quantity. The production is energy preserving, while the environmental effects are minimal, as 100% of materials are used. The company currently exports to India, Hong Kong, Australia, Romania and Turkey.
Area “Social Innovation”
Proznanie has developed an original methodology for distance and virtual classroom learning (VEDAMO) for children in medical and institutional care, from vulnerable communities, refugee children and Bulgarian children abroad. In collaboration with partners they have successfully prepared Roma students for enrolling in pedagogical and medical nursing degrees. They currently teach Bulgarian children living in Europe, Asia and Hawaii.
Area “Innovative start-up enterprise”
Tickey Mobile has created an innovative mobile platform for paying for the service of public transport in Sofia by using the universal Tickey e-ticket. The platform allows for different services within a city or an intercity environment to be purchased through a smartphone. Tickey offers the best value price, combined tickets and discounts based on the history of travels and individual profile of the users. The system is successfully integrated in Fal River Ferries, UK. In Bulgaria, Tickey Mobile works on a project of Serdika metro station.
