THE BIG RESET: From An Outsourcing Destination To An Innovation Hub
How can we use the momentum and turn our popular outsourcing destination into the Top Innovation Hub in CEE?
To discuss this question, we invited different stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem – investors, economists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to explore the potential and talk about concrete steps that could be made.
- Vassil Terziev, Eleven Ventures, Campus X
- Vesko Kolev, VP Product at Progress
- Mihail Mateev, Microsoft Regional Director and catalyzer of #JStalks
- Assen Vassilev, Founder of Center for Economic Strategy and Competitiveness
- Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Digital Transformation, Innovation and Economic Development
- Ivaylo Slavov, CEO of BULPROS and Board Member at AIBEST
Irina Obushtarova, managing director of Trending Topics SEE is asking:
➡️ If we observe the development in the IT sector towards higher added value, what should be the next step? Should we focus on developing our own products, intellectual property, R&D, and boosting innovation or attracting foreign companies that outsource such?
➡️ Do you see the necessary capabilities in the startup ecosystem to give birth to internationally successful product companies and in which sectors? What are the limitations and what do we need to change to tackle them?
➡️ What is the value proposition of the local ecosystem in attracting and retaining skilled product talent and do we have enough of it?
➡️ How important would it be in the local environment that we stimulate scientists and businesses working together?
➡️How do you manage innovation? Would you say, that there any models for innovation management we could take from the corporate world and use them on a more macro-, ecosystem level?
