BSMEPA Initiated a Meeting of Western Balkans Organizations Responsible for Innovation

The Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (BSMEPA) has initiated a meeting with leaders of organizations responsible for innovation development and start-up ecosystems in the Western Balkans region, with its main objective being to give new impetus to business integration between countries in the region.

BSMEPA Executive Director Boyko Takov will present to the Western Balkan startup leaders the conditions for business development in Bulgaria, having prepared a busy program for their two-day visit. Visits to Sofia Techpark, SoftUni, acquaintance with the startup association BESCO, as well as with the Fintech association. According to him, the association between startup associations in the region is already underway, but the meeting will give a new impetus to the interaction between the countries of the Western Balkans.

The official guest of the meeting was Bulgarian Commissioner and Vice President of the EPP Mariya Gabriel, who, according to Takov, could be very useful in the talks because she will be able to acquaint the guests from the Western Balkans with the opportunities that they could use to successfully develop their activity. According to Mariya Gabriel, Europe is doing very well in the field of research and prototyping, but in order to be as competitive as possible, it must also make efforts in the field of innovation in all areas. She said that innovation cooperation between the Western Balkan countries under the Horizon 2020 programme gives positive result, participation in projects had increased by more than 50%. In just four years, they received from 10 million in 2014 to $ 30 million in 2018. There are also funds under the programme to support young people to stay at work in their places of origin...