The EU’s new Clean Industrial Deal is of critical importance for economic progress and for strengthening competitiveness. As economic challenges become more global and more complex, the solutions to them increasingly require us to focus our attention on innovation. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Economy, Dontcho Barbalov, who took part in the Industry Forward Conference in the discussion panel “The Impact of the Clean Industrial Deal on Business and Economic Growth in Bulgaria.” The conference brought together representatives of leading industrial companies, financial institutions, technology and energy firms, as well as officials from Bulgarian public institutions and other stakeholders.
During the panel discussion, Deputy Minister Barbalov recalled that the Ministry of Economy and Industry is preparing a National Industrial Strategy for the Manufacturing and Mining Sectors, which is expected to be finalised by the middle of next year and will outline the directions for the development of Bulgaria’s industry.
According to him, the strategy will set out a vision for the development of industrial policy and the industrial base, including industrial parks. This vision will incorporate the perspectives of stakeholders so as to support the enhancement of the technological capacity of Bulgarian industry and its competitiveness.
“One of the goals of the Ministry of Economy and Industry is to continue developing industrial policy, which in turn will enable the long-term growth of the Bulgarian economy,” he said.
Deputy Minister Barbalov emphasised that European companies can broadly be divided into two categories: traditional energy-consuming companies, and innovative companies. “We must reduce our dependence on fossil resources. It is crucial for Bulgaria to have domestic production of metals and copper, as they are extremely important for our industry,” the Deputy Minister of Economy stressed.