“Eastern Europe offers many opportunities for growth and Bulgaria will be at the heart of the region’s future development. We started as an outsourcing destination and now we are becoming a hub for innovation and digitalization.” This was said by Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov at the twentieth anniversary edition of the Vienna Economic Forum. According to him, infrastructure connectivity, the energy sector, digitalisation and the IT sector play a key role for the development of the whole of Europe.
“In our region we have world-renowned companies in areas such as logistics, ICT, space — all of them are export-oriented,” Bogdanov added. He also recalled that digitalization is a key priority of the Bulgarian government and that more than 400 e-services for business are to be implemented and developed in the coming years. Minister Bogdanov also pointed to Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area as a top priority, as well as the development of transport connectivity and logistics in the region. He said investment in infrastructure, green connectivity and industrial zones were another key aspect for the region. “The projects in these areas are open to partnerships with Western companies and their implementation will guarantee the economic growth of the countries,” Bogdanov stressed.
“In times of unstable geopolitical environment, it is important to put political talk aside and focus on the economic development aspects of Europe and the region,” the minister said at the economic forum. The motto of this year’s event is “Continuing to build economic bridges in difficult times”. In Bogdanov’s words, the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and in Israel have shown Europe that economic security is not a given, that we need to be united in order to ensure the sustainable economic development of the countries.
The Vienna Economic Forum was established in 2004 with the strategic aim of promoting regional cooperation and dialogue between member states in the region from the Adriatic to the Black Sea. For two decades, the Forum has established itself as a bridge between economics and politics. The event brings together politicians, economists and diplomats for important discussions related to the economic development of the region.