site.btaBulgarian Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency Executive Director Takov Highlights Internationalization and Digitalization Priorities for SMEs

Facilitating the internationalization of Bulgarian small and medium-sized businesses is the primary role of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), Executive Director Boyko Takov said on Friday during the panel discussion Digitalization of Industries and Services.

The discussion took place on the final day of the five-day Green Transition Forum 5.0: Competitiveness and Innovation in Central and Eastern European Countries at Sofia Event Centre, an initiative by Green Transition Forum and Dir.bg with media partner Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

Takov said the aim is for Bulgarian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to be well positioned on the global stage and to find new partners and clients. At the same time, the agency is launching two new projects related to digitalization. One is focused on Northern Bulgaria and envisages the creation of mobile offices, with the World Bank being a partner in this project. Another project relates to cross-border cooperation with Serbia, within which many SMEs will be supported.

“Digitalization is a key factor in the competitiveness of enterprises,” Takov said. He noted that the agency is also actively working on the development of innovation. At present, BSMEPA manages the Eurostars programme under the Eureka initiative, and another innovation project is due to be launched soon.

More than 3,500 participants from over 30 countries are attending the five-day Green Transition Forum 5.0 at Sofia Event Centre, which runs until June 20. The forum gathers EU commissioners, ministers, MEPs, Nobel Prize laureates and top executives from global companies to discuss a range of topics including energy security, sustainable finance, digitalization, and innovation in the CEE region. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta, and Professor Daron Acemoglu—2024 Nobel laureate in Economics—are among the keynote speakers.