Competitiveness and innovation in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries is the focus of the fifth edition of the Green Transition Forum. The largest transformation and development event in the region is organized by Green Transition Forum and Dir.bg. It is taking place from 16 to 20 June 2025 at the Sofia Event Center.
The forum is bringing together leading experts, politicians and business leaders to discuss key aspects of the green transition and ways for the region to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy without losing its competitiveness. Three European Commissioners among the guests – Roxana Manzatu (Future of Jobs), Teresa Ribera (Decarbonization of Industry), as well as Bulgarian Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva (Innovation and Startups). The discussions with the participation of over 150 key companies will touch on both the positive aspects and openly address the problems and challenges.
The Green Deal is undergoing significant changes, increasingly focused on preserving the economic strength of countries. In addition to wanting to be green, Europe does not want to compromise on its competitiveness. Within the five days of the forum, almost all sectors of the economy will be covered through the prism of the green transformation, with an emphasis on the landmark reports of Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta, outlining a new vision for a stronger and more integrated European Union.
The central moment was the exclusive lecture by Prof. Daron Acemoglu on June 17. The winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics and a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is arriving in Bulgaria for the first time. He spoke on the topic “Who will own the future?”, analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence, automation and the need for institutional reforms to address social inequality.
Prof. Acemoglu’s visit to Sofia is a rare and valuable opportunity – without analogue in our country – for economists, business leaders, politicians, students and all committed citizens to meet face to face with one of the most insightful thinkers of our time. This is not just an academic event, but an invitation to Bulgarian society to join the global debate about the future, to gather ideas and to think about what kind of economy and what kind of society we want to build. The presence of the Nobel laureate is also indicative of the opportunities for Bulgaria to participate in strategic economic discussions. On the first day of the event, former Italian Prime Minister and current President of the Jacques Delors Institute Enrico Letta held a high-level discussion with business leaders. In April 2024, he published his report on the future of the EU single market “More than a single market”. In it, Letta identifies many of the bloc’s most pressing problems and offers proposals for solving them – from high-speed rail, investment in space and a more unified health sector to more everyday efforts to improve EU legislative processes.
The report was prepared after more than 400 meetings in 65 European cities with hundreds of experts. One of its main calls for the EU to achieve “a balance between competitiveness, strategic independence and fair global conditions, avoiding the imposition of harmful regulations and promoting strategic partnerships based on well-founded policies”.
Three European Commissioners – Roxana Manzatu, Teresa Ribera and Ekaterina Zaharieva – will also participate in the Green Transition Forum 5.0.
On the morning of 16 June, European Commissioner for People, Education, Culture, Skills and Social Rights, Roxana Manzatu will take part in the panel “Roadmaps for economic growth, sustainable and inclusive progress”. She is responsible for human resources policy, the labor market, new professions, and also for parts of the social and climate plan, from which Bulgaria is expected to receive a huge budget item. The main emphasis of her work falls on the need to support those at risk of energy, transport and other poverty, as well as on guidelines for young people who are now entering the labor market. On June 19, the EC Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera will participate. She will participate in the panel “Promoting Clean Industrial Decarbonization”. The discussion will focus on the European Clean Industry Deal and the decarbonization strategies of heavy industry. Ribera’s role is crucial in the context of the European Green Deal. Her expertise supports industrial decarbonization. And this is a central element for the competitiveness of the EU industrial sector and is particularly relevant for Bulgaria, given the carbon intensity of our economy.
At the end of last year, the EC announced that it was providing €4.6 billion to promote the deployment and production of green technologies, batteries for electric vehicles and green hydrogen. Around €3.4 billion of this will be used to promote the deployment of decarbonisation technologies, including batteries for electric vehicles. The remaining €1.2 billion is earmarked for the production of green hydrogen using renewable energy. The funds are provided by the EU Emissions Trading System. It is expected to generate around €40 billion between 2020 and 2030. On 20 June, Bulgarian Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva will participate in the panel “Innovation as a cornerstone of the competitiveness of the EU and Central and Eastern Europe”. The conversation will focus on the impact of the EU Competitiveness Compass on innovation-led growth, an overview of the European Commission’s strategic direction for Horizon Europe and other R&D frameworks supporting higher education and digital transformation. The expansion of start-ups and deep tech in Central and Eastern Europe, success stories and lessons learned, the use of technology, R&D and AI to position the region as a technology hub will also be discussed.
As Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva is tasked with strengthening the EU’s ambitions to put research, innovation, science and technology at the heart of our economy. She will promote investment and cooperation, creating the right conditions for researchers to succeed and develop new skills, and stimulating the innovation needed to achieve the EU’s competitiveness, security and sustainability goals.
Green Transition Forum 5.0 is establishing itself as a large and important platform for dialogue between the European Commission, national governments, experts, companies and media. With its fifth edition, the forum positions Bulgaria as an active part of the conversation about the future of green policies in Central and Eastern Europe and even as an initiator of this debate in the region.
Illustrative Photo by Adrien Olichon: https://www.pexels.com/photo/modern-building-with-chimney-13025291/
