Sofia Hosts "Smart Specialization and Technology Transfer" Conference

Export of IT products reached BGN 1 billion and 200 million or 9% of the country's exports in the past two years. The data was provided by Mayor Yordanka Fandakova at a conference on "Smart Specialization and Technology Transfer", held in Sofia on 3^rd of May. The two-day forum brings together experts from across Europe to discuss the challenges the industry is facing and the opportunities for interaction between business and science.

The conference is held under the auspices of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

National borders as a barrier to innovation and the scarce presence of women in the IT sector. During the forum in the National Palace of Culture, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Digital Society, Mariya Gabriel, reminded that only 17% of the 8 million workers in the sector were women.

The Achilles' heel of digitization in Europe is digital literacy. We have very well educated young people. Digital skills, however, are something that 169 million Europeans lack, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner, said.

Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev linked the European Union's place in the technological development with the new budget.

In my opinion, one of the main conversations should be in the area of education, but not necessarily the content that we will “push” into the heads of the young people. What incentives do we develop?, Donchev said.

Information technology forums and access to the internet in public transport and public places were part of the examples that Sofia’s Mayor Yordanka Fandakova presented to the participants to show that Sofia Municipality supports innovation.

Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia: The IT sector workers in Sofia are over 40,000. The sector is also characterized by one of the highest productivity. In Sofia there are about 100 IT companies, developing highly qualified specialists.

The forum continues tomorrow, 4^th of May.