Blagoevgrad businesses will learn from Taiwanese best practices

The new exchange programme is the result of local efforts to build up the city as a space for innovation and foreign investments

Today, authorities in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, announced that representatives of 10 local companies will have a chance to gain experience in Taiwan. The decision is the result of a signed memorandum between the city and Leonor F. M. Lynn, Managing Director of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.

According to a statement by the city, this development came as a direct result of the Investment and Innovation Forum that was held in Blagoevgrad at the end of March. The event aimed to bring businesses and diplomatic representatives from around the world, exposing them to the tremendous investment potential in the city.

Opening up Bulgaria’s South-West to global investment

In March this year, the municipality of Blagoevgrad hosted the first Investment and Innovation Forum, where representatives of the Bulgarian tech and software industry, diplomatic representatives, as well as foreign investors like Telus International and HP met in the largest city of the country's South-West region.

The idea behind the forum was to promote Blagoevgrad as a destination for foreign capital and investments. According to Mayor Ilko Stoyanov, the forum also aimed to showcase the region’s growth potential, along with local authorities’ willingness to get involved in incentivising private development.

One of the first concrete results of the forum is the memorandum with the Taiwanese External Trade Development Council. The core of the agreement consists of an exchange programme for 10 local companies that will have the chance to travel to Taiwan and learn innovative and good practices.

The 10 companies will be chosen through the Trade Council’s criteria and the two sides will cooperate during trade expos, cultural events and more, promoting each other’s products.