Celebrating Success: Cohesion Policy Programmes Drive Bulgaria's Sustainable Future

On 3 June, the closing event for OP Innovation and Competitiveness, which has received EUR 1.4 billion from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), put small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the spotlight. In particular, the programme:

• supported over 2,600 SMEs in investing in more competitive production capacities;
• helped more than 2,400 enterprises embrace innovation;
• co-financed more than 1,600 projects for improving energy efficiency in SMEs;
• assisted 29,000 businesses in navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak;
• provided equity investment to three out of five enterprises receiving private equity financing between 2019 and 2023, resulting in the creation of 1,000 new jobs.

On June 4, the closing event for OP Science and Education celebrated the programme's remarkable achievements, including the investment of nearly EUR 200 million from the ERDF to establish 16 state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence and Competence, two of which were co-funded by the Horizon research programme. These centres now serve as hubs of high-quality research and innovation in areas defined by the country's Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation.

In addition, the programme allocated funding to the specialisation of researchers and their integration into the European Research Area. As a result:

• 4 new buildings were built and reconstruction of over 60 sites was carried out;
• 646 new researchers have been recruited to the established centres and 914 researchers are employed in the improved infrastructures;
• 80 patents and 53 utility models were registered;

• over 210 young researchers (under 34 years old) were supported;
• Bulgaria opened its first hydrogen charging station only a few days ago - Inforegio: Bulgaria's first hydrogen charging station inaugurated, a significant milestone towards green mobility (europa.eu).

Event participants had the unique opportunity to explore groundbreaking innovations firsthand at three cutting-edge centres. They witnessed demonstrations at The Big Data for Smart Society Institute (GATE), delved into the future of technology with “Intelligent Mechatronics, Eco and Energy Saving Systems and Technologies,” and discovered why Clean&Circle earned its spot as a runner-up for the Innovation Ecosystem of the Year Award 2023.

On 5 June, World Environment Day, the closing event for OP Environment highlighted the programme's remarkable efforts to promote sustainability and environmental protection. Leveraging EUR 1.4 billion from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF), the programme:

• provided cleaner drinking water to 1.4 million people through the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Water Supply Network;
• facilitated the recultivation of 88 non-compliant municipal landfill sites;
• reduced landfilled waste by 540,000 tonnes annually;
• financed 385 environmentally friendly public transport vehicles, including trams, trolleys, and low-emission and electric buses, resulting in an annual reduction of 2,000 tonnes of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.

The event attracted a large audience, shining a spotlight not only on the accomplishments of the Operational Programme but also featuring the captivating "Inhabitants" sculptures from the art project "Inhabitants: In Search of a Better Environment," supported by this programme.

Finally, the events set the stage for the 2021-2027 programming period, with over EUR 11 billion Cohesion Policy funds set to reduce economic, social, and territorial disparities between Bulgarian and European regions and across Bulgarian regions, whilst helping Bulgaria on its way to the green and digital transition. These funds will play a crucial role in supporting policy areas where Bulgaria has the potential to improve and reduce regional disparities within the country, thus paving the way for sustainable development and greater prosperity across all regions.