The European Investment Bank (EIB), the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA) at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and the Council for Innovations, Digitization and New Technologies (CIDNT) of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) invite partner organizations and all interested stakeholders to a discussion on investments in innovations of Bulgarian enterprises, which will be held on June 12, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. in the Aula Magna of the Rectorate of Sofia University.

The discussion, which will be opened by the EIB Vice President Kyriacos Kakouris and by SU FEBA’s Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, will focus on the most serious obstacles to the increase of the innovation activity of the Bulgarian corporate sector, as well as on the ways and means of reducing and eliminating these obstacles. To what extent is this a general problem for the country or is it the result of certain sectoral specialization? Atanas Kolev, Principal Advisor in the Economic Directorate of the European Investment Bank and coordinator and reviewer of the EIB’s annual investment report, will present the Bank’s annual report among non-financial enterprises in the EU and the US.

In the 17 years of membership in the European Union, Bulgaria managed to reduce part of the gap with the average European income, but it remains far from the other new members of the union. Increasing innovation can speed up the convergence process. Innovation is at the heart of increasing labor productivity, which is a necessary condition for long-term economic growth.

Innovation activity in Bulgaria is at a low level compared to other members of the European Union. In the classification of the European Commission, Bulgaria is in the group of countries with the weakest indicators in the field of innovation.

The European Investment Bank’s (EIB) annual survey of non-financial enterprises is consistent with this assessment. Innovation activity of Bulgarian non-financial enterprises is relatively low. According to the 2023 results, about three-quarters do not carry out any innovation activity. This share is the highest among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which have similar economies and economic development.

The event will be held in Bulgarian language, with simultaneous translation to/from English.

Participation in the event is free, after registration (until 10 June 2024):

Registration link: https://forms.gle/2KkYJpEmoqgscdrU7