The Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds – Mr. Svetlin Tanchev held a welcoming speech on the occasion of the 7th European Day of the Entrepreneur, co-organized by the Municipality of Sofia and the Sofia University “Sveti Kliment Ohridski”. The event, aimed at transforming Sofia into a national and regional center for development of innovations and entrepreneurship in South-Eastern Europe, was carried out under the motto: “The innovations – the European model for overcoming the economic crisis”, which corresponds with the EU policy for competitiveness of the European cities and regions through innovations and technology transfer.

Among the participants in the European Day of the Entrepreneur there were representatives of the student community, “Junior Achievement” - Bulgaria, the joint Project of UNDP and Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism - “Technostart”, the National Business Development Network, the Technology Transfer Offices at the Scientific Institutes, the Bulgarian Business Angels Network (BBAN), CEED Bulgaria, Bulgarian Academy of Science, the World Bank etc.

In his speech, Mr. Tanchev paid special attention to the active students, which inspire the European idea for an Entrepreneur’s week with their own vision and initiatives that could contribute to finding the right working “students-to-business” model. Mr. Tanchev underlined the enormous challenge facing the national science and education institutions in their effort to attract more young people to a scientific and research career. In this context Mr. Tanchev mentioned the updated for 2009 National Reform Programme of the Republic of Bulgaria (2008 – 2010), adopted with a Council of Ministers Decision No. 835 as of 30th October 2009, where some urgent measures in support of the scientific, research and innovation activities are envisaged.

For further information on the event, please visit:
http://www-it.fmi.uni-sofia.bg/ede2009/home.htm