The 20th edition of the National Innovation Forum Innovation and Sustainability for Future Growth and the Award Ceremony for the winners of the National Innovation Enterprise of the Year Competition took place on 10 December 2024 and brought together some of the most prominent representatives of the innovation community in the country, including leading figures from business, sciences and the public sector. The Forum, organised by the Applied Research and Communications Fund and Enterprise Europe Network – Bulgaria, in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and with the support of the European Commission, once again provided a unique platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices. Special guests of the event were Dr. Yordanka Chobanova, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the Board, European Innovation Council Fund, Vasil Terziev, Mayor of Sofia and Vladimir Grozdanov, CEO of Barin Sports, Innovative Enterprise of the Year 2023.
The organisers of the Forum are Applied Research and Communications Fund and Enterprise Europe Network – Bulgaria, with the support of the Directorate General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission, with the assistance of Sofia Tech Park, BAIT – Bulgarian Association for Information Technology, BESCO – Bulgarian Entrepreneurship Association, PARAi – Professional Association for Robotics, Automation and Innovation, Health and Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria, Artificial Intelligence Cluster Bulgaria, AIBEST – Association for Innovation, Business Services and Technology and Bulgarian Association for People Management. Media partners of the event are. “Ekonomika”, 3-e news.bg, economy.bg, profit.bg, ESGnews.bg, Kaldata.bg, “Bulgarian Science” magazine, TLL Media, Lider.bg, CEO Forum, DiTech Media, IdustryInfo.bg, sp. Engineering Review.
Dr. Ognian Shentov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Applied Research and Communications Foundation, congratulated the participants in the 20th anniversary edition of the National Innovation Forum. He emphasized the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to building the national innovation ecosystem, which should ensure sustainable development for the future. Dr. Shentov noted that Bulgaria has gone a long way towards integrating into one of the most advanced technological and innovative ecosystems – that of the European Union. He highlighted the geopolitical confrontation between the US and China, as well as the international competition for technological leadership and the EU’s priorities to address these challenges: promoting sustainable and self-sustainable supply chains, developing key technologies such as artificial intelligence and microchips, measures to further develop the Single Market, and increasing strategic investments in science and innovation. Dr. Shentov noted that these trends also provide opportunities for our country, pointing out that Bulgaria is an open economy with proven potential in the ICT sector, and can benefit from European policies to stimulate innovation and technology transfer.
Mr. Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Representation in Bulgaria, congratulated the participants of the Forum, which for more than 20 years has served as a platform for dialogue between policy makers, researchers and industry leaders, promoting technological progress and economic growth in Bulgaria and Europe. Mr. Beckmann-Dierckes emphasized that the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Bulgaria also focuses its initiatives on bridging differences and fostering dialogue and cooperation between government, business and civil society to ensure that technological progress is in harmony with democratic values and serves the public good. Mr Beckmann-Direx also noted the importance of digital connectivity, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, and their potential for the development of the modern economy, and people’s daily lives.
He stressed that Bulgaria should not be underestimated as an important member of the global digital economy. Mr Beckmann-Dierkes highlighted the contribution of Bulgarian innovators globally and how their achievements reinforce “Bulgaria’s long tradition of innovation and its capacity to make a significant contribution to the global technological process.”
Dr. Yordanka Chobanova, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria and acting as the Commission’s official representative in the country under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen. Dr. Chobanova congratulated the Applied Research and Communications Foundation team for their efforts to organize and develop the Forum, as well as the innovative companies for their participation in the Innovative Enterprise of the Year Competition, and their achievements. In her speech, Dr. Chobanova stressed the importance of institutional support for the development of innovation, in contrast to the widespread view that the economy and business only need freedom to generate growth. Dr Chobanova noted that investment in R&D in the EU is growing but still lags behind countries such as the US, Japan and South Korea. She drew attention to the strategic priorities of the European Commission, stressing the importance of the role of Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, whose portfolio includes support for start-ups, research and innovation. She stressed that one of the Commission’s objectives is to change the current trend where Europe is lagging behind in the creation and application of new technologies. An example of this is the fact that only 4 of the world’s top 50 technology companies are European. As an important upcoming goal, Dr. Chobanova pointed to the need to complete the so-called Capital Markets Union – the European plan to facilitate the flow of money across national borders, in the same way that goods and services move freely.
Mr. Ruslan Stefanov, Coordinator of the Innovation.bg group at the Applied Research and Communications Fund, stressed that innovation processes in Bulgaria are largely driven by EU funds. He noted the lack of an independent innovation policy in the country and pointed out that Bulgaria is part of the structured EU science and technology area, which has a huge potential for transforming technologies into innovations.
As key priorities, he pointed to the need for political stability and sustainable public investment in research infrastructure in order for business to unleash its potential. Mr Stefanov also stressed the importance of investment in the defence industry, in which Bulgaria has traditions and a leading role in the region. He underlined the key role this industry plays in Europe’s economic security and how it can generate innovations that can then have civilian applications. In conclusion, Mr Stefanov noted that Bulgaria has been a leader in Europe in youth entrepreneurship in recent years, which is a significant success for the country.
The Mayor of Sofia, Mr. Vasil Terziev, drew attention to the need for a clear vision and strategy for innovation in the next 20 to 40 years. He outlined three main directions of innovation policies and measures to attract and retain young talent and digitalize the capital. Regarding companies, Mr. Terziev focused on the need to cluster innovation, create more co-working spaces and technology parks, as well as on removing administrative barriers and creating a safe environment to attract investors. The Mayor pointed to the tangible improvement in the quality of life in the city as key to attracting and retaining young talent. His recommendation is to focus on a working formula – focusing not on analysis and policy recommendations, but on practical support for innovative businesses in the form of ideas and investment.
Ms Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the Board, European Innovation Council Fund, presented the Fund as the European Commission’s boldest, most significant and effective innovation initiative to date. Highlighting the importance of existing programmes such as Horizon and InvestEU in funding and supporting innovation, she highlighted the unique role of the Fund in supporting innovative companies through a combination of grant schemes and equity investments. Ms Georgieva also highlighted the impressive budget of nearly €4 billion earmarked for distribution by the Fund and the fact that it has been able to attract four times the private investment than the public funds already contracted. At the time of the jubilee National Innovation Forum, the number of companies funded by the European Innovation Council Fund exceeded 253, including 6 from Bulgaria. Ms Georgieva described this as a significant success of which Bulgaria should be proud. Regarding the priorities of the Fund, she pointed out that the main focus is to support the innovative development of traditionally strong industries in Europe, such as the automotive sector. For the next 2025, the Fund will pay special attention to companies working in the field of generative artificial intelligence.
The discussion was also attended by Mr Vladimir Grozdanov, CEO, Barin Sports, winner of the Innovative Enterprise Award 2023. He thanked the organizers of the National Innovation Forum, saying that thanks to the award, Barin Sports had received serious interest over the past year. He summarized the three key things that have happened since the first edition of the Forum 20 years ago: first, the raising of standards in the software business by companies such as Telerik, VM Ware, Nemetschek and the people, potential, ideas and motivation that started with them. Second, the advent of artificial intelligence and machine self-learning, which reinforce the need to generate professional hardware solutions and the focus on specialized systems, in which Bulgaria has exceptional traditions. Third, the successfully created ecosystem, environment and adequate tools for financing innovation. Mr. Grozdanov said that Barin Sports is one of the companies selected for funding by the European Innovation Council in 2025. Mr. Grozdanov also said that being an entrepreneur is bound to a lot of hard work and requires a special attitude towards a new dynamic and towards the feeling that you are starting something from scratch and the results depend only on you.
