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First Regional Forum South East European Innovators Challenge

UNWE — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:09:34 GMT

Technology Parks and Innovation Zones from South East Europe gather in Sofia Tech Park for the First Regional Forum South East European Innovators Challenge

Companies from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye will participate in a competition for the best startup

Technology parks and innovation zones from South East Europe will gather at the first regional conference and start-up competition South East European Innovators Challenge (SEEIC). The event will take place on 27 and 28 October 2024 in Bulgaria's first science and technology park - Sofia Tech Park at Innovation Forum “John Atanasoff”. Representatives of the academic and business communities, startup ecosystems from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye and Montenegro, international investors, government, municipal institutions and media will join the event.

SEEIC is the first initiative of the SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance. Sofia Tech Park, Gabrovo Technology Park, JOIST Innovation Park (Greece), Thessaloniki Innovation And Technology Center (Greece), Magurele Science Park (Romania), Technology park Novi Sad (Serbia), Science Technology Park Nis (Serbia), Ostim Teknopark (Türkiye), Antalya OIZ Technopark (Türkiye), Bursa Technopark (Türkiye), BUDOTEK Teknopark (Türkiye) and Nam?k Kemal University Technology Development Zone (Türkiye) are participating in the regional organization. The aim of the Alliance is to stimulate cooperation between the countries' science and innovation ecosystems and the development of innovation and technology in the region. SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance is a platform for knowledge and experience sharing, partnerships between strategic companies and initiatives to make the region an attractive and preferred destination for investment.

The final stage of the startup competition will start on 27 October in Sofia Tech Park and will include 16 selected companies from the science and technology parks and innovation zones of the Alliance that participated in the preliminary part of the SEEIC competition. The competition is for companies working in artificial intelligence, big data, microelectronics, IoT, cybersecurity, sustainable urban solutions, fintech and life sciences. They will take part in a series of trainings and events, mentoring sessions and consultations with experts who will give them tips to grow their businesses.

On 28 October, at the Innovation Forum "John Atanasoff" of Sofia Tech Park, the startups will present their projects and products to a jury of international experts, investors and media representatives. In the South East European Innovators Challenge three SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance awards for the best startup from South East Europe and two special awards of Sofia Municipality and Sofia Tech Park will be given. The media jury will select the winner in the Social Impact Category. In the following part of the event, professionals with many years of experience in the field will discuss opportunities for the development of Southeast Europe, strategies for turning the region into a hub for innovation, technology and entrepreneurship with high investment potential.

The Leadership Panel will present the views of the heads of the SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance Technology Parks and Innovation Zones on the development of South East Europe, the opportunities for partnership and implementation of joint projects in different areas. During the forum a Memorandum of Cooperation will be signed between the representatives of the Alliance member organizations from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye.

Invited to participate in the official opening of SEEIC on 28 October at 13.00 are the Minister of Innovation and Growth Rosen Karadimov and the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev.

The forum will also include two special expo areas: for companies from South East Europe, which will showcase their projects, products and services; and for scientific teams from the region, which will present their research developments and achievements.

The South East European Innovators Challenge is supported by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth and Sofia Municipality.

Media partners of the initiative are Bulgaria ON AIR, Investor Media Pro, Investor.bg, Economic.bg, Manager Magazine, Manager News and The Recursive.

The initiative is part of Sofia Tech Park's participation in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) under the InnoForward project №101052626, co-funded by the European Commission.

More information about the South East European Innovators Challenge and program: https://seeic.io/

Book your place for the conference part of the South East European Innovators Challenge on 28 October at Sofia Tech Park here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-east-european-innovators-challenge-tickets-1031073678127?aff=oddtdtcreator

Finalist Startups in Southeast European Innovators Challenge:

Smartest (Sofia Tech Park, Bulgaria) - a digital platform for creating and taking online tests, aiming to improve education by facilitating teachers' work and enriching students' knowledge;

Neuromorphica (Sofia Tech Park, Bulgaria) - is developing an innovative dual-purpose system based on a core chip and a neuromorphic network for artificial intelligence devices;

Momfident (Sofia Tech Park, Bulgaria) - a virtual assistant that combines research and technology with artificial intelligence to provide personalized services to mothers in the postpartum period related to self-care, mental health, parenting and more;

Enthela (Sofia Tech Park, Bulgaria) - offers an innovative solution for agriculture by developing a biostimulant that helps reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers while maintaining yield and soil fertility;

FoodOxy (JOIST Innovation Park, Greece) - the company specializes in the field of healthy nutrition and biological activity testing of food products and supplements;

Upiria (JOIST Innovation Park, Greece) - a travel services platform that connects resellers and travelers by simplifying the booking process and reducing commissions;

Jobful (Magurele Science Park, Romania) - an innovative recruitment platform that uses technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain to increase transparency and ethical data management and gives employers and candidates more control over the hiring process;

Syndical (Magurele Science Park, Romania) - the company works in digital healthcare by creating artificial intelligence solutions that connect private clinics, hospitals, startups, insurance companies and pharmaceutical firms;

Irisphera (Magurele Science Park, Romania) - a personal digital stylist that uses artificial intelligence to offer personalized clothing recommendations tailored to users' shape, size and color preferences;

City&Me (Science Technology Park Nis, Serbia) - develops a digital platform that facilitates residents' communication with city institutions and encourages local activism on key issues such as urban mobility, recycling, greening, etc.;

Nais Robotics (Science Technology Park Nis, Serbia) - a startup company that creates and implements artificial intelligence solutions in the field of technology with applications in sports and sports infrastructure, and high-tech industries;

Dobbli (Technology park Novi Sad, Serbia) - a mobile app for virtual tours of real estate that allows easy capture of tours without the need for specialized cameras or complex software;

Vinaver Medical (Technology park Novi Sad, Serbia) - the company is developing a software solution that aims to improve the accuracy of cancer treatment planning;

Pavza (Ostim Teknopark, Türkiye) - offers solutions in the areas of Cloud Technology, Data Science, Web Development, and IoT;

Afatek (Ostim Teknopark, Türkiye) - a human risk management platform that simulates fraudulent emails, phone calls and text messages, offers interactive training and the ability for users to report suspicious and scam communications;

Pure Solutions (Ostim Teknopark, Türkiye) - a high-tech company that develops analytics and long-term reporting software and hardware solutions for dairy farmers.

The fourth edition of Tech Park Talks by Sofia Tech Park

UNWE — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:07:17 GMT

The fourth edition of Tech Park Talks by Sofia Tech Park

will take place on 31 October 2024

Technology in the battle against fake news and misinformation is the theme of the episode, which is produced in partnership with Out Loud Foundation

The new edition of Tech Park Talks - The Guardians: Science and Technology Protecting The Truth will focus on one of the most pressing and important issues of modern society - fake news and online misinformation, as well as on the role of science and technology in preventing the spread of malicious information and counteracting its effects.

The fourth episode of Sofia Tech Park's technology, business and science series- Tech Park Talks will take place on 31 October 2024 at 19.00 in the Innovation Forum "John Atanasoff" of the Science and Technology Park.

Leading Bulgarian specialists in cybersecurity, information and communication technologies, journalists and media experts will be speakers at the event:

Georgi Sharkov PhD - Head of the Cybersecurity Lab at Sofia Tech Park, Director of the European Software Institute Center Eastern Europe and member of the Advisory Board of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies - BASCOM;
Antoaneta Nikolova - communications expert and journalist with extensive experience in international and European affairs, media legislation and online regulations, Director of the Advisory Board of the Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI);
Nikolay Nikolov - multimedia journalist and filmmaker exploring the new frontiers of visual content at The New York Times;
Nikolay Nikolov - multimedia journalist and filmmaker exploring the new frontiers of visual content at The New York Times;
Dobroslav Dimitrov - Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASCOM) and Chairman of the Bulgarian Employers Association Innovative Technologies (BRAIT);
Krasimir Kotsev - cybersecurity specialist, founder and CEO of one of the most successful Bulgarian cybersecurity companies SoCyber and the startup Kikimora.io;
Vladislav Venev - Director of Information and Communication Technology Security at bTV Media Group, expert in information and cyber security with over 20 years of experience, lecturer and presenter, member of the Bulgarian Association "Corporate Security"? (BACS) and the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2);
Polya Alexandrova - journalist and PR manager, Head of Corporate Communications at Philip Morris Bulgaria.

Moderator of Tech Park Talks The Guardians: Science and Technology Protecting The Truth will be the host of 120 minutes on bTV, Svetoslav Ivanov.

In the high-tech era, it is crucial that the public is familiar with methods for identifying fake news, techniques for recognizing manipulative texts and visuals, and the most effective technological and other tools for countering disinformation. The aim of Tech Park Talks I The Guardians: Science and Technology Protecting The Truth is to put the topic high on the agenda and to discuss it systematically and consistently at expert level in order to preserve public trust in traditional and new media and to ensure that citizens receive reliable, trustworthy and truthful information without the risk of being misled and manipulated. Among the highlights of the format will be the topic of how contradictory data creates misconceptions that affect wide swathes of society around the world, creating information chaos and uncertainty, and whether professionals in one of the new professions of the 21st century - fact-checkers - are effectively countering online misinformation.

In the context of the rapidly evolving technology and global information overload, Tech Park Talks will also address the topic of cybersecurity, which is essential for the protection of personal data and other growing threats in the online space.

Tech Park Talks is a series of motivational, educational, informative and discussion events aimed at creating a platform for dialogue between professionals from different industries, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and expertise.

The co-organizers of the format are Out Loud Foundation and Ivan Radev Studio.

Media partners of Tech Park Talks are bTV Media Group. Bulgarian News Agency, 24 Chasa.

The event is supported by Philip Morris Bulgaria and is intended for people over 18 years of age.

The initiative is part of Sofia Tech Park's participation in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) under the InnoForward project №101052626, co-funded by the European Commission.

Link for free registration: Tech Park Talks

International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in the Global Economy: Role of Returnee Entrepreneurs

UNWE — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 20:12:46 GMT

Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems have been attracting increasing attention of both policymakers and academic researchers across the global economy, due to their transformational potential through their contributions to innovations, employment, and income, among others. In fact, as entrepreneurial ecosystems evolve and grow, entrepreneurship of improved quality emerges through multiple means, such as entrepreneurial universities, large scale industries (both MNCs and domestic enterprises), R&D organizations, and Technology Business Incubators/Co-working Spaces/Accelerators. Among all, returnee entrepreneurs are considered key agents of growth and innovation in emerging economies. Therefore, they have been attracting interest from policymakers and scholars. It is to discuss the role that returnee entrepreneurs vis-a-vis domestic entrepreneurs (along with other stakeholders of start-up ecosystems such as Universities, Industries, Government, Angels, Venture Capitalists, Private Equities, Banks, Business Mentors, Technology Mentors, and prospective start-up founders, among others) play in contributing to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems that we are going ahead with the International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in the Global Economy: Role of Returnee Entrepreneurs during 9-11 January 2025 at J N Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Empowerment Entrepreneurship: How Entrepreneurs & Stakeholders Can Build a Sustainable Future - 12th International Conference

UNWE — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:27:24 GMT

Mission of the Conference

The Conference’s mission is to bring together professionals in the field of entrepreneurship, from research, teaching, practice and policy-making to exchange opinions, problems and good practice in entrepreneurship and management to respond to the challenges of sustainable development in a changing world.

Objectives

To discuss recent trends and problems in the development of national and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems;
To discuss and understand better the roles of various stakeholders: entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporations, policy makers, universities, government and non-government organisations, in achievement of SDGs;
To discuss how enterprises can play a significant role in ensuring achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs;
To identify SDG opportunities through entrepreneurship for specific goals;
To discuss innovative funding mechanisms for sustainable solutions;
To learn about measuring impact and demonstrating the contribution of entrepreneurship to SDGs;
To explore entrepreneurship as a tool for social change and for empowering communities;
To exchange research, training and consulting experiences (problems, findings and solutions) of social entrepreneurship in different geographic, economic, and socio-cultural contexts;
To discuss and understand better the role of intrapreneurship in large-scale enterprises and their role in achieving SDGs;
To strengthen and develop further established networks among professionals from Europe and other regions of the world.

Who should attend this conference?

Researchers
Teachers/trainers
Consultants
Policy-makers
Entrepreneurs
Managers

The invited keynote speakers at the Conference will be the internationally recognized professionals as:

- Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, OBE, Ph.D, FRSA, Visiting Professor at Aston University, Birmingham, and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at University of Turku, Finland, Founder, UK Fast Growth 50 Index and the National Startup Awards;

- Professor Raymond Saner, Ph.D., Titular Professor at Basel University (Economics Department) and lecturer at Sciences Po, Paris (Public Policy) and at Lüneburg University (Environmental Negotiations);

- Professor Lichia Saner-Yiu, Co-Founder and President of the Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development (CSEND), Genève, Switzerland, Taiwan, A UN ECOSOC accredited think tank with Special Consultative Status;

- Professor Diego Matricano, Ph.D., Department of Management, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Chair of SIG Entrepreneurship @ EURAM Conference

- Mr. Aurel Laurentiu Plosceanu, Vice-President for Communication of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC);

- Professor Milena Angelova, Ph.D., member of the EESC, SME Envoy of Bulgaria, SME Envoys Network, DG GROW, Secretary-General, Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association.

We are looking forward to receiving abstracts of your papers.

For conference participants we have negotiated special prices for accommodation in Flamingo Grand Hotel and I will let you know soon the details.

Ceremonial awarding of diplomas to graduates of the Entrepreneurship speciality

UNWE — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 15:05:10 GMT

Dear Graduates, bachelors and masters in Entrepreneurship,

The Chair of Entrepreneurship invites you to take part in the official graduation ceremony, which will be held on 27 October2022 at 4:00 p.m. in the Maxima Aula of the UNWE.