site.btaForum in Sofia Looks at Challenges, Opportunities in Automotive Industry, EU Regulations

The challenges and opportunities in the automotive industry, as well as EU regulations, were discussed at the Automotive Forum 2025 international conference in Sofia, organized by Automotive Cluster Bulgaria with. BTA is a media partner of the forum.

“When we approach the international market, Asia, China, it is very difficult for us because the demand there is different, and the price pressure, especially from Asia, is high, and we have to change our approach," commented Kalin Dobrev, manager of Festo Bulgaria. Festo is a European company that manufactures components for all sectors, including the automotive sector, and this year will celebrate 100 years of existence, including 40 years of presence in Bulgaria, Dobrev noted.

Commenting on the issue of artificial intelligence and regulations, Krastyo Ivanov from Visteon pointed out that technological development is much faster than the ability of regulatory bodies to create regulations. “Artificial intelligence is a perfect example of a technology that is developing so fast that it is impossible to fit into the current regulatory framework," Ivanov said. Regarding the European law on the application of AI, the expert commented that the difference between the regulations in China and the EU, for example, is in how and on what scale they are applied.

According to economist Georgi Vuldzhev, the regulatory framework is not the only reason why the EU is lagging behind in some key sectors. According to him, European policymakers have gone a little overboard with climate and digital policies, which also affects the automotive sector.

The economist pointed to the lack of clear long-term planning as the biggest problem in terms of policy and regulatory development. He emphasized that another major problem is the way in which regulations work: they are very fragmented, whereas they should interact with each other, he said.