Bosch reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Bulgaria and confirmed that it will continue to develop key business activities in the country, it emerged during a meeting with the company’s Chief Executive Officer in Bulgaria
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry Alexander Poulev met with Dan Lazarescu, Chief Executive Officer of Robert Bosch EOOD and Representative of the Bosch Group in Bulgaria, to discuss the company’s decision to gradually discontinue the operations of Bosch Engineering Centre Sofia, its implications for Bulgaria’s high-tech sector, and opportunities for future cooperation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining an active dialogue and their strong partnership.
During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Poulev underscored the strategic importance of German investment to the Bulgarian economy. “We place tremendous value on our relationship with Germany. It is one of Bulgaria’s most important diplomatic and economic partners. Germany is our leading industrial partner and our largest export market. Consequently, any developments affecting the German economy inevitably have an impact on Bulgaria as well,” he said.
Poulev stressed that attracting investment remains one of the Government’s foremost priorities and will continue to serve as a key driver of economic growth. “Encouraging investment is a central objective of our economic agenda. Even in the current fiscal environment, we have introduced a range of incentives to support industry, including investment promotion mechanisms, assistance for energy-intensive industries and dedicated instruments for companies of strategic importance to the Bulgarian economy,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of Bosch’s management, Dan Lazarescu reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to Bulgaria and confirmed that it would continue to develop its key operations in the country. He explained that the decision concerning Bosch Engineering Centre Sofia had been driven by changes in the automotive industry and the strategic reorganisation of the Group’s engineering operations. According to Lazarescu, the decision followed an extensive review process. “We discussed the situation in Sofia very intensively over several months. We are currently implementing structural changes affecting a number of engineering centres across Europe,” he said.
Bosch has been present in Bulgaria for more than 30 years and reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to the country. The company will continue operating across a number of business sectors, serving both the Bulgarian market and regional customers. Bosch will maintain its presence in Bulgaria through its local sales operations, customer support and training activities in the areas of Automotive Aftermarket, Power Tools, Home Comfort and Building Technologies, carried out by Robert Bosch EOOD and BSH Household Appliances Bulgaria EOOD, as well as through Bosch Digital EOOD, which provides comprehensive digital solutions for the Bosch Group.
Lazarescu also emphasised that the company would maintain a significant presence in Bulgaria through both its commercial and digital operations. Around 300 highly qualified specialists employed by Bosch Digital will continue to work in the country on high-tech projects involving software development, cloud technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Poulev assured the company’s management that the Government would continue to support German investors and the development of Bulgaria’s high-tech sector. “We want to support you in every way we can. If we can assist your current operations or provide incentives for future growth, we are ready to mobilise every available instrument to support German investors, including Bosch,” Poulev underscored.
He also noted that Bulgaria would continue to advance the digital transformation of the public sector and would rely on the expertise of leading technology companies. “The digitalisation of Bulgaria’s public administration will accelerate, and we will rely on the expertise of companies such as Bosch. I believe we have strong potential to develop new partnerships in this area,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Alexander Poulev further emphasised that the automotive industry is one of the Bulgarian economy’s most strategically important sectors and that the development of engineering centres is vital to the country’s competitiveness. “Bulgaria’s automotive sector is closely linked to developments in the German automotive industry. We started almost from scratch in building expertise in this sector. Today, it accounts for more than 10 per cent of Bulgaria’s gross domestic product, making it critically important to the country’s economy,” Poulev said.
He added that nearly 40 research and development centres are now operating in Bulgaria, highlighting the importance of continued government support for maintaining and expanding high-tech activities. “We must ensure that this highly skilled workforce adapts successfully to the new realities. Our objective is not only to preserve our ties with the German automotive industry but to strengthen them further,” the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.