Publications

The Innovation.bg 2025 report presents an up-to-date assessment of the state of the innovation system in Bulgaria, emphasizing the need for technological renewal, digital transformation, and strategic adaptation to the changing global context. Despite some positive trends, such as widespread access to high-speed internet, growth in the ICT sector, and the use of digital services, Bulgaria remains among the “emerging innovators” and, for another year, has failed to move into the more advanced group of “moderate innovators” in the EU. The country ranks 26th in the...

People over the age of 50 are becoming an increasingly large number of the population; consequently, they are also acquiring a significantly bigger role in the economic activity of both Bulgaria and other countries. Due to the prevalence of this phenomenon, the Applied Research and Communications team is focusing on the access of women in their silver age to the labour market through its participation in the project INSPIRE: Intersectional Spaces of Participation: Inclusive, Resilient, Embedded, financed under the Horizon Europe programme. In a broadcast by Radio Focus, sociologist Slavyanka...

The SYNCLUSIVE project aims to implement a systematic approach to bridging the employment gap and creating a more inclusive labour market for vulnerable groups. Its second policy brief draws on the experiences derived from national living labs held in Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands and Portugal, and explores how coalition-based strategies may address the systemic barriers in the labour market faced by vulnerable groups. If they are left unaddressed, these barriers often result in fragmented service provision, mismatched priorities, and governance gaps. The role and impact of regional...

The first SYNCLUSIVE policy brief is intended for EU stakeholders, as well as those on a national and regional level, that are involved in the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the labour market. It introduces the project and its main objectives, presents the ENGINE approach and regional coalitions as innovative strategies to improve the recruitment, retention and career development of vulnerable groups in the labour market, updates the findings on the challenges faced by vulnerable groups, and shows how SYNCLUSIVE can align with and potentially improve existing policies. SYNCLUSIVE aims to...

SustainX – Fostering Sustainable Digital Innovation Investment Empowering European Regions for a Green and Digital Future The SustainX project (Grant Agreement No. 101184410), funded by the European Union under the Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3), brings together leading innovation actors from across Europe with the shared ambition of accelerating regional transitions toward sustainability and digital competitiveness. The initiative focuses on strengthening the innovation ecosystems of less developed and transition regions by providing them with tailored tools, capacity...