Conference on The Issues and Solutions about The Small and Medium Enterprises

Representatives of academic science, executive authority, business, National Statistical Institute (NSI), Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS), companies and branch organizations took part in the Conference on the Issues and Solutions about the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) which was held at the UNWE.

At the Forum organized by the UNWE, Ministry of Economy and Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) attended Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev, Rector of UNWE, Prof. Dr. Valentin Goev, Vice Rector of UNWE, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Stoychev, Head of the International Economic Relations Department and Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Kiril Todorov, Director of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute and Acting Head of the Entrepreneurship Department, Deputy Ministers of Economy Lachezar Borisov and Lyubomir Ganchev, as well as Georgy Chernev, President of SCCI, Moderator for the Conference, Marieta Zaharieva, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), Engineer Dimitar Manolov, President of the Bulgarian Confederation of Labour, etc.

During the opening of the event. From the left to the right: Prof. Valentin Goev, Engineer Dimitar Manolov, Lyubomir Ganchev, Georgy Chernev, Prof. Statty Stattev, Lachezar Borisov, Marieta Zaharieva, Assoc. Prof. Ivan Stoychev During the Forum

As a significant scientific forum defined the Conference Prof. Statty Stattev as he outlined that it had been the consecutive event organized jointly with one of the most active partners of UNWE – Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Rector expressed his thankfulness to all the institutions participating by their representatives of highest level. It shows the adjustment of the executive authority and the state to turn their faces to the issues, pointed out the Rector.

Prof. Stattev paid also attention to the wide academic presence at the Forum.  

Prof. Stattev is greeting the participants in the Conference

After this Conference we should continue to have permanent conversations about the SME, said the Rector and pointed out the necessity of future editions of the Forum. He commented the fact that 99,8 percent of the enterprises in the country which had been in the category of SME had often been determined as “the spine of our industry”. Prof. Stattev expressed his expectations for a useful conversation and a content forum where the issues should be well formulated and discussed.

In the Large Conference Hall

We hope the Conference will become annual as we provision to organize also a contest for the SME, pointed out Georgy Chernev. For achieving an economic growth more than 3 percent it is necessary to implement new policies to support the branch and the regional chambers, outlined Chernev.

About the issues of SME, “which are often considered as an appendage of an economic chain” spoke also Engineer Dimitar Manolov. He commented the unclear points in that economic complex and the threat of losing the job as he specified that it had been a wide-ranged topic which would not be completed in one discussion.

The Ministry of Economy have included in a multidirectional dialogue on issues which have been neglected so far, pointed out the Deputy Minister Ganchev. He emphasized on the regular and effective conversations with the business organizations for finding out general solutions for the improvement of business environment and ensuring favorable conditions for accelerated economic development.

Dimitar Manolov (on the left) and Lyubomir Ganchev

We are engaged and work on all economic growth factors, emphasized Lachezar Borisov. The Deputy Minister examined the opportunities for funding the SME, Operational Programme Innovations and Competitiveness 2014 – 2020, Industry 4.0, etc.

There is a necessity of creating a digital infrastructure from SME and communication between them, specified Marieta Zaharieva. The practical objective is to have an interaction between these enterprises, pointed out the Executive Director of BSMEPA and commented the divisions at branches, dimensions at branch principle as well as the measures on European programmes, the National Innovative Fund, the Programme Horizon 2020, etc.

Lachezar Borisov	Marieta Zaharieva

The participants in the discussion commented a wide range of issues.

The reports of the Forum will be published in a special collection.

The Conference was lively broadcasted by the Internet.