Smart Specialisation in Bulgaria

Smart Specialisation Strategies in Bulgaria

Despite the fact that the performance of its economy was significantly affected by the global financial crisis, Bulgaria recovered its pre-crisis uneployment rate by setting it above the european average. However, local disparities remain an important challenge that prevents the country from showing its full potential. Indeed, Bulgaria's economy is mainly driven by richer regions like the region of Sofia, while other regions are amongst the poorest in Europe.

Bulgaria is currently a Modest Innovator according to the European Innovation Scoreboard, but Bulgaria has a lot enterprises and universities with innovation potential. The challenge lies in boosting levels of innovation, competitiveness and collaboration with academia. A detailed analysis of these challenges can be found here.

Smart Specialisations strategies promote innovation in Bulgaria, both at the local level (Severen – Tsentralen Region, Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Ruse) and at the country level with the National Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation 2014–2020. The latter identified four thematic priority areas for the whole country:

• Mechatronics and clean technologies,

• Informatics and information and communication technologies,

• Industry for a healthy life and bio-technology,

• New technologies in creative and recreational industries.

More on Smart Specialisation in Bulgaria here.