Regional Forum for Northwest Development Gathers Institutions, Business, and Science in Pleven.
On 6 and 7 July, a Regional Forum on Priority Investment Projects and Knowledge and Technology Transfer as Factors for Integrated Development of the Northwest Region is held in Pleven. District Governor Ivan Petkov stated that the goal is to turn strategic planning into real investments, while Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Vice President Prof.
The event was officially opened by the regional governor of Pleven, Ivan Petkov. The Regional Administration is the host and mediator of the forum, which aims to unite the efforts of central and local government, academia, business and civil society to accelerate the region’s economic development.
The forum is organised by the Northwestern Educational, Scientific-Innovation and Technology Hub and the two regional innovation centres — for mechatronics and industrial technologies, and Industries for Healthy Living, Biodiversity and Technologies.
The event is being held in partnership with the regional branch of the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria and the Pleven Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Participants include representatives of regional administrations and municipalities from the Northwestern region, universities and research institutes, general and vocational schools, businesses, industry chambers and associations, as well as non-governmental organisations.
As the host and mediator of this forum, the Pleven Regional Administration aims to turn strategic planning into real, functioning investments, Regional Governor Ivan Petkov said.
He stressed that key issues such as the water crisis, transport connectivity and the bypass roads around Pleven require effective interinstitutional cooperation. The programme of the two-day forum includes four thematic panels divided into two main sessions.
At the opening of the forum, the deputy president of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Emanuel Mutafov, congratulated the organisers and described the initiative as strategically important. According to him, Pleven has enormous potential to become a driver of modernisation and economic growth in northern Bulgaria.
He emphasised the need to use the term knowledge transfer at European level as a more precise concept, noting that innovation is often perceived in a strictly technological and partly industrial sense.
In his view, sustainable technology transfer and economic development are possible when they are based on cultural heritage, spirituality and education.
The deputy president of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences added that the academy’s regional academic centres will become more actively involved in future local initiatives. He described their role as a bridge between science and the regions as key to the successful structuring of partnership projects for integrated territorial investments.