The Innovation Relay Centre – Bulgaria organised a sectoral meeting on “The New Technologies in the Food and Drink Industry – a Guarantee for Competitiveness”, on 1st April 2004 in the conference hall of hotel “Vereya”, the city of Stara Zagora. The organisation of the sectoral meeting was supported by MSI-Bulgaria, GIS Transfer Centre Foundation and the Bulgarian Association of Food and Drink Industry. The main topics on the agenda were: harmonisation of the Bulgarian legislation, concerning foods, with the EU standards; developing integrated systems for implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), for quality management, environment and provision of occupational health and safety working conditions; the role of local and national authorities in the food safety control; opportunities for projects funding; presentation of international projects.
An “Innovation Market” was organised during the sectoral meeting with the support of MSI-Bulgaria and GIS Transfer Centre Foundation. Representatives of research and development organisations made short presentations of scientific and applied research projects and results, and companies` representatives shared their technological problems.
Twenty-nive representatives of companies, 28 – of institutes and universities, 9 – of branch chambers, agencies and associations and 8 – of government organizations participated at the meeting.
