site.btaFrench-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Presents Traditional Innovation Awards

The French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFB) presented its traditional Innovation Awards late Tuesday evening. The ceremony was attended by Innovation Minister Daniel Lorer, Education and Science Minister Nikolay Denkov and French Ambassador here Florence Robine.

The Chamber is to open over 100 jobs for Ukrainian refugees when the appropriate legislation is in place, CCIFB President Stéphane Delahaye said in his address. An agreement with the Bulgarian News Agency has also been signed, he also pointed out.

The Ministry of Innovation and Growth is not present at the venue out of courtesy, but because innovations are its mission and it supports them anywhere, Lorer said, adding that it also had the ambition to see them penetrate into society. 

The health crisis that has nearly passed, but also the new crisis involving the war in Ukraine, make innovations a must, Ambassador Robine said in her address. Innovations should be created and the energy dependence that threatens our sovereignty should be broken, she pointed out. The use of hydrogen will become the basis of hydrogen transition, she added.

Bulgaria’s geothermal potential can be used for the production of lithium under environment-friendly conditions, not only for the production of energy, Ambassador Robine said. Innovations can both preserve the environment and our health, as their importance became obvious in the production of vaccines and ambient air cleanness. The war in Ukraine also brought up the fact that sustenance is also a matter of sovereignty. Digitalisation of public services is necessary, both for fighting corruption and increasing independence. Without technical sovereignty the EU would not have political sovereignty, the Ambassador added. Innovations require a productive soil, Robine said, which is why she believes in education, new forms of training and cooperation with business, a field in which the French Embassy is quite strong.

Klear was the winner in the “Innovation in Investment” category, presented by Minister Lorer.

Pontica Solutions founders Ivan Georgiev and Evgeni Borissov were the winners in the “Businessman” category and received their award from the hands of Ambassador Robine.

Jane Dimitrova, author of the Foodbox app, carried off the “Business lady” category award. 

Spark electric vehicle sharing company and its CEO Stefan Spasov were the winners in the “Corporate Social Responsibility” category.

Launchee, a space for training, events, sharing knowledge and experience, won the special Jury Award.