Radev: Bulgaria strives for a key role in Europe's innovative reindustrialization

Prime Minister Rumen Radev discussed Bulgaria's strategic goals in the context of the European Union's economic transformation during a meeting with the European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva.

According to the Prime Minister, the country's main priority is to establish itself as an active participant in Europe's reindustrialization process, while simultaneously developing a high-value-added economy. Radev emphasized Bulgaria's ambition for technological convergence with the leading EU economies and for ensuring equal access for smaller member states to the resources of the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).

The ECF is a key instrument in the EU's next Multiannual Financial Framework, aimed at overcoming Europe's technological lag compared to global competitors and reducing the Union's strategic dependencies.

For her part, Commissioner Zaharieva emphasized the risk of "brain drain" and the relocation of high-tech companies to markets with easier access to capital, such as the USA. She pointed to the creation of a single capital market in the EU as a critical step toward ensuring funding for R&D activities and startups.

During the conversation, the future of the "Horizon Europe" program, the next EU financial framework, and the role of state authorities in building sustainable innovation ecosystems were also discussed.