site.btaBulgaria Ranks among EU Leaders in Women’s Participation in Science and Innovation, Speakers Say at Sofia Forum

Bulgaria is among the European leaders in women’s participation in science, technology, and entrepreneurship, participants said at a round table discussion titled Women in Innovation, held in Sofia on Thursday and organized by the Ladies’ Forum association.

“Talent in Bulgaria has no gender,” said Diana Miteva, Chair of the Board of the Ladies’ Forum. She pointed out that, according to European Commission data, women make up 49% of engineers and scientists in Bulgaria and 55% in academia, placing the country at the top of the EU rankings. In the IT sector, 27% of professionals are women, ranking Bulgaria third in the Union.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev said Bulgaria has no problem accepting women as scientists, innovators, or managers, noting that “no one is surprised when a professor or engineer turns out to be a woman.” However, he emphasized the need to continue fighting prejudice and to build confidence among women innovators.

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Vice President Evdokia Pasheva said women in science in Bulgaria “have much to be proud of,” but still need stronger platforms to share achievements and find allies in business. She presented several successful women-led research teams at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences whose work has led to practical applications including polymers for agriculture, sensors for air pollution monitoring, and AI systems for heart disease diagnostics.

The forum highlighted that 25% of newly established companies in Bulgaria are founded or co-founded by women, which is above the EU average.

European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva was a special guest at the event.