site.btaEconomy Minister Stoyanov Opens International Technical Fair in Plovdiv

At the opening of the 76th edition of the International Technical Fair in Plovdiv, Caretaker Minister of Economy and Industry Nikola Stoyanov said that he expects by the end of 2022 the gross added value produced by R&D to reach BGN 10 billion. He congratulated the organizers for giving focus to Industry 4.0 and innovation this year.

Stoyanov said that Bulgarian companies and scientists produce a competitive product and in some respects, even occupy the leading place. Evidence for that is the country's export data, which in 2021 was over BGN 16 billion and reached an increase of 24% year-on-year. The leading markets for Bulgarian goods include Germany, Italy and Austria, which shows that Bulgaria is competing and working with the best in Europe, Stoyanov added.

He stressed that an expert working group is working in his Ministry with businesses and municipalities, to propose measures to help Bulgarian companies for achieving faster and more successful digital transformation.

"We are in a spiral of challenges - disrupted supply chains, rising energy prices. These are tough times for all businesses, but it is investment in innovation and digitalisation that will make us more competitive in the crisis," Stoyanov said.

The forum, which runs between September 19 and 24, will bring together nearly 200 companies. There will be debut presentations of innovative products, systems and equipment, as well as a demonstration of Bulgarian drones, developed by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.