On the last weekend of October, we attended the BASSCOM autumn retreat, where we met like-minded, inspirational and highly successful colleagues from the IT sector in Bulgaria.
Retrospection of the past months
One of the most interesting parts was the IT industry barometer and SWOT analysis presented by Dobroslav Dimitrov which touched on important and sensitive topics determining the future of the IT sector in Bulgaria and the global trends. It was highlighted that the Software Development branch consists of 55% of the whole ICT sector and is fundamental for the future development of the whole Bulgarian Economy. Moreover, a future commitment to effective communication with the national government was made. In the plans of BASSCOM is also further development of the Bulgarian Employers’ Association Innovative Technologies (BRAIT).
BASSCOM Busines Tree
During the retreat, Marina Shideroff, a member of the BASCOM Board of Directors, presented the Business Tree success story and the plans for expanding it into other sectors. The participants in the retreat expressed their satisfaction with the initiative. During the discussion was summarized the results of successfully focusing the attention of the business on the opportunities opening up to it as a result of the new solutions based on artificial intelligence.
The SMACITE project
Within the framework of the meeting, a national seminar was also held on the SMACITE project, in which BASCOM and ESI Center Eastern Europe are partners. The project was presented as an opportunity for those who want to delve deeper into the rapidly developing topic of Smart Cities.
Nikolay Vassilev was the special guest at the event. It was interesting to learn his opinion about the top challenges for Bulgaria, such as:
- Demographic Challenges
- International Security
- Geopolitical Orientation
- Macroeconomic Stability
With the mining industry in decline and a bad demographic situation, it was great to learn about the innovation and green initiatives in Stara Zagora and meet with some of the local organizations.
