site.btaUS Surgical Robots Manufacturer to Invest BGN 80 Mln in Bulgarian Plant

The American developer and manufacturer of robotic products for clinical procedures, Intuitive Surgical, is planning to invest more than BGN 80 million in Bulgaria. The corporation will build a modern manufacturing facility in the town of Parvomay, Southern Bulgaria, in order to increase its production capacity of 3D endoscopes for robotic surgery, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth reported Monday following working meetings where the initial phase of the project was presented.

Intuitive Surgical's 3D endoscopes, currently manufactured in Germany, are used in the da Vinci Surgical System - a minimally invasive robotic surgical system.

The investment in Bulgaria will open more than 100 new jobs, which have the potential to grow to 300 within the upcoming years.

Innovation and Growth Minister Daniel Lorer expressed confidence that the new facility will boost the economy in the entire region and described the 3D endoscopes as products with high value added. More and more investors are interested in opening high-tech and innovative plants in the country, Lorer added.

The Minister quoted data from the central bank, according to which foreign investments over the first quarter of 2022 have quadrupled compared to the same period of last year, reaching EUR 1.055 billion. The executive director of InvestBulgaria Agency, Bogdan Bogdanov, emphasized the importance of Bulgaria attracting such high-value-added investments.

Based in Sunnyvale, California, Intuitive Surgical developed the da Vinci System, which has been used in more than 10 surgical procedures across the world.