Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, is a city that continues to grow. Proof, Sofia will be the next European digital capital, in June 2018. What’s more about a recognition that it deserves more than everything.
Did you know ? Sofia, the Bulgarian capital where life is so good, despite all that our European compatriots can sometimes say, has been classified recently in the Top 3 European capitals with the most startups in the field of computing and a production growth in this sector going from 3.5% in 2015 to 8% this year. Not least, Bulgaria is number 1 of the countries with the highest number of women in this sector. So, good to know, Bulgaria does not excel only in textiles or yogurt with goats. There are also plenty of startups ready to revolutionize the world. We like it, it was well worth an article, even brief.
Boosted by the presence of highly qualified personnel and reasonable wages, this sector, which with the automotive industry is the one that attracts the most foreign direct investment, now employs 40 to 50,000 people, and weighs nearly 4% of Bulgarian GDP – twice as much as textiles.
The wages in the branch amount to 1,400 euros on average but can be even more important according to qualifications and sometimes higher than in other European countries like Spain where for an equivalent position and qualification, an employee will earn 40% less in Barcelona than in Sofia. You can check but it is true.
While the country posted last year one of the most dynamic growth of the EU at 3.4%, the political scientist Evgeni Dainov is convinced :
It is quite possible for Bulgaria to become an economic power, admittedly modest, but at the right wages.
Bulgaria has everything for, also the second fastest broadband in the world after South Korea. Just to solve small problems as « monopolies and cartels » and « especially the scourge of corruption, considered by both international organizations and the population as the main factor of poverty », Evgeni says.
For all theses reasons, Sofia deserved well to become the next European digital capital in 2018. What was our pleasure to learn this good and positive news about Bulgaria. From June 25 to 29, 2018, in the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the European Council, Sofia will host European Digital Week and Innovations as well as the European Digital Assembly.
More than 6000 people, IT specialists, politicians, experts, managers from renowned companies and business man are expected from all over Europe to debate on the importance of digital technologies and their challenges. Especially on the menu the strengthening protection against cyber attacks, affecting many sectors as personal, medical or energy; the necessity to expand the computer skills of a larger part of the Bulgarian population or the question to remedy the lack of employees in the IT sector will therefore also be part of the debates. Today, there is a deficit of 300,000 people in this sector, a figure that continues to grow.
For sure, we will follow Sofia as the European Digital Capital in 2018 with great interest.
