Interaction with universities is key to the development of innovation in Bulgaria. Therefore, one of the priorities of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth is to promote the commercialization of science into business. This was stated by the Minister of Innovation and Growth Milena Stoycheva at a meeting with the Ambassador of Finland H.E. Kristiina Kuvaja-Xanthopoulous.
Minister Stoicheva and Ambassador Kuvaja-Xanthopoulous discussed the deepening of bilateral economic relations between Bulgaria and Finland in the field of innovation, high technologies and research and development. The focus of the conversation was the development of the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem in Bulgaria.
“We would like to rebrand Bulgaria as a destination for high-tech innovations that would create high added value in our economy”, said Minister Stoycheva.
The Minister also said that the Ministry of Innovation and Growth will work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as in other areas where innovation can be a key – healthcare, culture, tourism, energy, defense. She informed the ambassador of Finland about her visits to the universities in Varna and Burgas, pointing out that she has upcoming meetings with the academic community of other universities. The Minister of Innovation stated that in accordance with the new European Innovation Program, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth envisages the creation and connection of regional innovation valleys based on the strategic advantages of the regions and their specialization. Both sides emphasized that they will work in close cooperation in the fields of science, innovation, high technology, startups, entrepreneurial ecosystem and investment.
