The upcoming 2025 re-zoning of Bulgaria provides opportunities for new synergies between the districts of the South Central Region and other areas across the country, including transition regions and those with lower economic development.
For example, two of the three scenarios outlined by the National Statistical Institute suggest the creation of a future unified planning region centered in Plovdiv, which would also include Stara Zagora Province and even Pernik Province.
The Cyber4AllSTAR project team, with the coordinator Union for Private Economic Enterprise, will hold meetings with local businesses in these two areas during February and March 2025.
On March 4-5, 2025, several events involving the Digital Hub “Trakia” will take place in Stara Zagora.
First, there will be a joint informational event hosted by the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs in Bulgaria, the Directorate General for Regional Policy, and the Ministry of Innovation and Growth. The event is scheduled for March 5, starting at 09:30, and will take place at the Trakia University – Stara Zagora.
The European Digital Innovation Days in Scientific Research will also take place at Trakia University Stara Zagora. In this format, thematic conferences, seminars and workshops are traditionally held, covering the full portfolio of Hub Trakia services that are available for local businesses – from technical services in the field of cybersecurity to advice on access to finance and digital networking. The focus this time will be on research and development, and the program will feature lectures and presentations from leading figures in the academic community.
As for Pernik Province, in February 2025, EDIH Trakia served its first clients from the region, who benefited from the Hub’s free services in innovation consulting. These services were presented on February 11, 2025, at the Cultural Palace in Pernik, when the Chairman of the Digital Innovation Hub “Thrace”, Dr. Hristian Daskalov, participated in the seminar titled “Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Pernik,” organized by Economic.bg as part of the European project “Career Transition Opportunities.”
Among the experts with whom the local business community in Pernik Province had the opportunity to discuss their ideas were:
✅ Angelina Boneva, Expert on European Policies, former Deputy Minister of Regional Development.
✅ Georgi Milev, Chairman of the KRIB-Pernik.
✅ Stefan Krastev, Deputy Mayor of Pernik.
✅ Kristiana Kazandjieva, Manager of “Agenda BG“.
✅ Vera Petkanchin, Director of “Educational Content and Methodology” at Junior Achievement.
✅ Lyubomir Filipov, Director of “Strategic Partnerships and Regulations” at Veolia.
In the second panel of the seminar, Pernik’s businesses heard real examples of entrepreneurial support from:
📍 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savina Mihailova-Goleminova, Faculty of Economics, Sofia University.
📍 Dimana Ilieva, Training and Development Expert at CTeam.
📍 Dr. Hristian Daskalov, European Digital Innovation Hub – Thrace.
📍 Monika Kriakova, Co-Founder of the family farm “ZhaboKriak“.
📍 Maria Rudik, Young Entrepreneur from Kyustendil.
A detailed publication from the forum, containing the key points from EDIH Trakia, can be found here: https://www.economic.bg/bg/a/view/inovacionni-hybove-uskorjat-transformacijata-v-pernik
Moreover, EDIH Trakia continues with its business meetings in the South Central Region. In February, experts from Trakia Hub participated as panelists in meetings with businesses from the municipalities of Smolyan, Rudozem, Madan, and others in Smolyan Province, organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) under Project P41, part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
During these meetings, experts from the Regional Information Center – Smolyan presented specific funding opportunities, procedures for starting social businesses, and successful examples from Bulgaria and Europe, while the European Digital Innovation Hub – Trakia demonstrated innovative digital tools that can give any social enterprise in the region a competitive advantage.
In the latter part of 2025, similar meetings are planned for Pazardzhik, Haskovo, and Kardzhali regions, with the participation of EDIH Trakia consultants, once again hosted by the team from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy at the Regional Center for the Development of Social Economy – Plovdiv, with whom the Hub has had fruitful strategic cooperation since 2023.
