site.btaDeputy PM Gabriel Receives 2023 Startup Ecosystem Star Award

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel received the 2023 Startup Ecosystem Star Award in Paris on Thursday at an annual award ceremony acknowledging the best practices among organizations responsible for the promotion of Ecosystems of Innovation. The Startup Ecosystem Star and Corporate Start-up Star awards were established by the International Chamber of Commerce and the Mind the Bridge organization in 2016 to boost open innovation practices, Gabriel's Ministry said in a press release. 

"Europe is a place for innovation and talent. Our strengths are the large number of engineering universities and research centres, a ramified infrastructure, talents and a great regional diversity. Cooperation between startups and major corporations unleashes a huge potential for innovation, competitiveness, and a better business environment. The intersectoral approach is key: between the private sector and academe, innovation and science," the Deputy PM said at the ceremony.

She stressed that building a strong ecosystem of innovation based on highly skilled human resources, research excellence and close interconnection between universities and industry should be a determining factor in decision-making.

Serving two terms as EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Gabriel actively committed to innovation promotion. More specifically, she shared in the development of the New European Innovation Agenda which was launched in July 2022. In its present capacity as Bulgaria's Foreign Minister, she highlights the important role of innovation in foreign policy.

For the first time, Bulgaria's strategic partnerships with the US and the UK spell out cooperation in innovation and cutting-edge technologies. Gabriel also noted her Ministry's cooperation agreements with ever more higher educational establishments in Bulgaria as a clear vision of the need to invest in the development of young people. Another point she made was Bulgaria launching Europe's first mobile app developed by the Foreign Ministry on the basis of artificial intelligence and data interchange.

"I believe that by cooperation at the local, national and European level we can support the talents of Bulgaria and Europe," Gabriel said at the end of her speech.