Innovation Minister: Bulgaria Ranks Third in Southeast Europe in Number of Startups

Jerusalem, 31 August, 2023 (TPS) -- VARNA, ON THE BLACK SEA (BTA)
Bulgaria ranks third in Southeast Europe in the number of startups, and second as an attractive destination for opening of startup offices, Innovation Minister Milena Stoycheva said at a round table on the technologies that will define the future of digital transformation in Varna on Thursday. The forum is part of the Hello, Varna! Hello, World! campaign of DXC Technology.

Among the highlights of the discussion, which brought together experts from the IT-sector, academia and business, were the potential of Big data analytics and the development of artificial intelligence, as well as on the secure use of new technologies in a secure cyber environment.

The roundtable was attended by Bulgarian Investment Agency Executive Director Hristo Etropolski, Varna Mayor Ivan Portnih, as well as other representatives of state and local government, the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria (AmCham), the British Bulgarian Business Association (BBBA), industry organizations, the National Cyber Security Association and the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria can confidently say that it contributes to the development of human capital, which builds the global future, Stoycheva said. She stressed that one of the main goals of her Ministry is to rebrand Bulgaria as a place for innovation, where high added value products and services are created as a result of scientific and development activity. “We have enough scientific potential along with a well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Stoycheva noted and added that the problem so far is the lack of connectivity between the two.

She also pointed to attracting serious investors as a major task for the Ministry. According to her, “DXC Technology is a very good example in this respect because the company interacts very actively with start-ups in developing the latest level of technology,” the Innovation Minister said.