The Embassy of Finland with plans for business relations with Plovdiv

The Embassy of Finland with plans for business relations with Plovdiv

Ms. Kristiina Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos, Ambassador of Finland and Mr. Janne Sykkö – Trade Counsellor
for Southeast Europe at the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade met with the Deputy Mayor of Plovdiv
Mr. Stefan Stoyanov and business analyst Mr. Georgi Stoev.

The Finnish diplomats are developing plans to create strong trade relations between their country
and Bulgaria, in particular – with Plovdiv. At the meeting, the industrial sector and the possibility of
innovative Finnish manufacturers to offer state-of-the-art technological solutions for automation and
modernization to Bulgarian factories were discussed.

The subject of digitization and information technology was also raised. The IT and BPO industry is the
fastest growing in Plovdiv. Currently, 8,000 people work in the field and the number is growing by
about 10% per year. Mr. Stoyanov shared that the growth of the technological sector is among the
top priorities of the Municipality of Plovdiv for the development of the city and the retention of the
young and highly educated population.

“Bulgaria is no longer a destination for outsourcing cheap manufacturing and services, but a country
with a well-developed ecosystem, supplier chains and a high-quality workforce. Nowadays the
investing companies have a high productivity and can afford to provide good salaries.” added Georgi
Stoev. The embassy said that due to this development, the interest of Finnish companies towards
Bulgaria is increasing and there is great potential for high-value collaborations. The new
technological solutions for the private and public sector that are being developed in Helsinki can give
an additional boost to our local economy.

The ambassador extended an invitation to Plovdiv startups to take part in the biggest event for
startups – the Slush conference, the next edition of which will be held in the fall of 2023. Slush
provides a platform for meetings between startup founders and investors such as venture capitalists,
and has events like competitions to find partners and pitch ideas. Slush aims to build a global startup
community.

If the Bulgarian business is interested in connecting with the Finnish market and finding partners,
suppliers and customers from the country, the embassy is ready to provide assistance. Write to us for
contact or contact Mr. Sykko at [email protected]

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