Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, who attended an information day on financing high-tech scientific research and innovation organized by the European Innovation Council (EIC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Innovation and Growth here on Monday, said in his opening speech that a process, initiated some time ago related to the way the Balkan Peninsula gets perceived, has yielded results. According to Denkov, what would have been considered a joke a decade ago – having the Balkans being able to compete with the West, with China and the US – today is a goal that is within reach.
"This is the thing we need to do, to show that we are growing together, because Europe is strong when all its regions are strong," said the Prime Minister. He expressed appreciation for the programmes that have supported the country's development, in collaboration with Western universities and research centres, so that competition with Western countries is possible.
The EIC is the European Commission's largest initiative to support innovation throughout the life cycle from early-stage research to proof of concept, technology transfer, funding and scale-up for start-ups and SMEs. Through its three instruments – Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator, the Council provides funding to scientific organizations, start-ups and SMEs in the form of grants and equity participation/investments of up to EUR 17.5 million per start-up beneficiary. The organization has a budget of EUR 10.1 billion for the 2021-2027 period.
/RY/
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