site.btaFormer Italian PM, Nobel Prize Laureate and Three EU Commissioners Are among Participants in Green Transition Forum in Sofia Next Week

A former Italian Prime Minister, a Nobel Prize laureate and three EU commissioners are among the participants in this year’s edition of the Green Transition Forum to take place in Sofia next week. Dedicated to advancing the green transformation, it will take place from June 16 to 20 at Sofia Event Center, the organizers from Dir.bg said on Friday. The event will bring together leading experts, EU commissioners, business leaders, and policymakers to discuss how the region can accelerate its transition to a sustainable economy while preserving its competitiveness.

Among the high-profile participants are former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, Massachusetts Institute of Economy Professor and 2024 Nobel laureate in economics Daron Acemoglu, European Commission Executive Vice President Roxana Minzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition and Commissioner for Competitiveness, Teresa Ribera, and Bulgaria’s Commissioner for Innovation and Startups, Ekaterina Zaharieva. Over 150 major companies are expected to take part in the discussions.

Throughout the five-day forum, nearly all sectors of the economy will be examined through the lens of green transformation. Key highlights include visionary keynote addresses by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Letta, offering bold ideas for a stronger and more integrated European Union. 

On June 16, Minzatu will open the forum with her participation in the panel Roadmaps for Economic Growth, Sustainable and Inclusive Progress.

A central moment of the forum will be the lecture by Acemoglu, who will be visiting Bulgaria for the first time. His talk, titled Who Will Own the Future?, will explore the impact of artificial intelligence, automation, and the need for institutional reforms to address growing social inequality.

On June 17, Letta will lead a high-level discussion with business leaders. His recently published report Much More than a Market outlines pressing issues facing the EU single market and offers policy solutions ranging from high-speed rail and space investment to healthcare integration and legislative reform.

On June 19, Ribera will join the forum for the panel Driving Clean Industrial Decarbonization.

On June 20, Zaharieva will participate in the panel Innovation as a Cornerstone of EU and CEE Competitiveness.