site.btaEntrepreneurial Ecosystems in Bulgaria and Romania to Create Network of Innovation Valleys - Innovation and Growth Minister

At a working meeting in Cluj-Napoca aimed on establishing partnerships for the development of the innovation capacity of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Romanian city, Innovation and Growth Minister Milena Stoycheva said that this was a unique opportunity to join forces to connect the entrepreneurial ecosystems in Bulgaria and Romania, so as to create a network of innovation valleys. 

A partnership between Bulgaria and Romania can make Eastern Europe a leader in innovation and deep technology, the Minister of Innovation and Growth noted, quoted by her ministry on Thursday.

Minister Stoycheva leads a delegation of representatives of the ecosystem and local government and will participate as a speaker in the international forum in Cluj-Napoca on the importance of financial inclusion and digital transformation.

Stoycheva also held a working meeting with the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc. The two discussed cooperation between innovation valleys in Bulgaria and Romania and the establishment of regional innovation valleys through institutional support and exchange of good practices.

"The good cooperation between our countries is of key importance for the development of the region as a destination for creating high-tech innovations," Stoycheva said during the meeting with Boc.

On his part, Boc said that it is its common approach in innovation and education that makes Europe a more connected place with a united spirit, despite its diverse cultures.

Later in the day, Minister Stoycheva also visited the Lumen technology startup, which uses artificial intelligence, robotics and neuroscience to create opportunities for visually impaired people. This was also the first startup supported by the European Innovation Council Fund.