site.btaExperts Discuss Establishment of Regional Innovation Centre in Sofia

Experts Discuss Establishment of Regional Innovation Centre in Sofia

Sofia, July 22 (BTA) - "Innovations are at the basis of our vision for development of a knowledge-based economy generating high added value. Sofia has the potential to become a regional investment hub - it has considerable human potential, leading research institutions and, last but not least, entrepreneurs with good ideas," Economy Minister Bozhidar Loukarski said. He was speaking at a meeting with leading European universities and members of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), his ministry said Friday.

The delegation is visiting Bulgaria to study the possibilities and prepare Sofia to be established as a regional innovation centre within the EIT European network. It includes representatives of Imperial College London, Great Britain, the University in Trento, Italy, the Technical University in Delft, The Netherlands, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Technical University in Karlsruhe, Germany. 

The initiative of EIT is focused on establishing Knowledge and Innovation Communities - (KICs), which address several basic challenges at European level: digital transformation, energy efficiency, climate change, life sciences and sustainable use of resources. There are currently five such centres in Europe, concentrated in Western and Northern Europe.

The vision to develop a regional innovation hub in Sofia is of a new generation and provides for the integration of two of the defined EIT fields of interest: digital transformation and innovations in the sphere of energy, the press release said.

Loukarski hailed the idea and pointed out that the concept for the development of such a centre fully corresponds with the idea behind the development of the first research and technology park in Bulgaria, Sofia Tech Park.

An official Bulgarian delegation is to visit the EIT headquarters in Budapest in September. The project for the development of the innovation hub in Sofia will be presented there.