site.btaInnovation Minister: Automotive Industry Is Among Bulgaria's Best Examples of Availability of Expertise and Talent

The Innovation and Growth Ministry's mission is to provide opportunities for the creation of an entrepreneurial environment that will become an engine of growth and position Bulgaria on the map as a country for innovation. But also to foster closer collaboration between established industry players with new models of doing business through an ecosystem approach. The Ministry also aims to support sectors with higher added value, sectors that develop through new technologies, Innovation Minister Milena Stoycheva told the participants in the Innovation Day event, organized by Automotive Cluster Bulgaria and the Innovation Ministry. The event took place on Wednesday at Sofia Tech Park.

The Executive Director of the InvestBulgaria Agency, Mila Nenova, was an official participant in the event. It was also attended by representatives of the American company Plug&Play, which is opening an office in Bulgaria. The main activity of the accelerator, according to the Automotive Cluster Bulgaria, is related to supporting the innovation ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurs, corporations and investors around the world.

"One of Bulgaria's best examples of the availability of expertise and talent is the automotive industry," Stoycheva said. "We use sector figures to attract investors and leading players in high value-added industries and other sectors from Europe and around the world. With 80,000 people employed in the automotive sector, a 10%-11% share of the country's GDP and a turnover of EUR 10 billion, this is certainly one of the leading examples in Bulgaria," she stressed. 

Her Ministry's strategy includes support for Research and Development (R&D) centres, along with engineering and talent development centres. There are 35 R&D centres within the automotive sector open in the country. 

"In addition, Bulgaria, through the InvestBulgaria Agency, joined the European Battery Alliance in April 2023," she said, recalling the agreement with a Belgian company to open three development centres in the battery industry, and a similar example with a Japanese company that decided to move its development centre to Bulgaria and is considering such a step in another area of its activity.

Stoycheva encouraged the members of Automotive Cluster Bulgaria to be active with open procedures to promote innovation and competitiveness, and links between academia and business.