We are pleased to welcome the Bulgarian – Health & Life Sciences Cluster Ecosystem. Read the interesting interview to Kristina Eskenazi, Bulgarian ecosystem coordinator here:
Who are the key stakeholders?
Among our leading members are Micar Innovation, which received the award for Investor of the Year for 2018 by Bulgarian Investment Agency, Dahnson Bulgaria, Nutrigen, Fidelis Research, Printivo, Bulbera, Cleantech Bulgaria, Revita Labs, Consultancy Cluster Veritas, Franz & Partners, law practice Savov & Partners, Massmedia Foundation, Institute for Medical Research, Web Systems, VHM Capital, Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy, Business Incorporated Solutions, Intermedconnect LTD, Bulgarian Startup Association (BESCO), and many more. Numbers of ecosystems partnerships are included.
The cluster successfully partners with a number of institutions and organizations, including Ministry of Economic, Ministry of education, BSMEPA, Sofia Municipality, Stara Zagora Municipality, Varna local authorities, Sofia Tech Park, BCCI, BESCO, Bulgarian Investment Agency, Medical University of Plovdiv, Medical University of Varna, Trakia University in Stara Zagora, CFA Bulgaria, EEN, Premium coworking spaces, PARA, United drone society, and many others.
The cluster participates in the establishment and the Management Board of the Association Bioscientific Society Bulgaria, which aims to support the development of the biosciences in Bulgaria and consolidation of a unified society of representatives of the Bulgarian bioscience community, working and studying both within Bulgaria and abroad. The cluster is a member of the Board of BRAIT (Bulgarian Employers’ Association for Innovation and Technology, which is legal successor of the Bulgarian cluster association), together with Automotive Cluster, Mechatronics Cluster, BAIT, BASCOM, ICT Cluster and others.
The founding members of the cluster are into the core of the creation of The AI Cluster Bulgaria (www.aicluster.bg) in order to stimulate and create high value cross industry projects.
One of the objectives of the cluster is to stimulate, validate and promote technological progress in the sector of health & life sciences, as well as to connect scientists with business leaders, academia and media. Therefor Club Biotechnology & Life Sciences was founded at the beginning of 2020 in a collaboration with Sofia Tech Park.
What are the main objectives of your ecosystems?
Create sustainable growth in the life sciences economic sector
Contribute to the development and sharing of knowledge
Enhance Bulgaria’s attractiveness as a potential business location for international companies from the life sciences field
Contribute to the increase of awareness and understanding of the importance of life sciences for society
Increase collaboration between industry and public research institutes and clinics
The cluster’s strategy envisages the establishment of representative offices in other universities and cities in the country, guaranteeing cross-cluster, cross-industrial and cross-regional cooperation for SME development.
| Borderless AI Initiative Health & Life Sciences cluster together with AI Cluster Bulgaria, Health & Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria, AI Austria, AI Serbia, AI Sweden, and UK established the initiative during the summer 2020. By combining AI organisations with strong and practical know-how with policy makers and academia could contribute for: ● Citizens to reap new benefits for in such as improved health care, personal medicine, safer and cleaner cities, better public services and much more ● Business development, for creation of a new generation of products and services ● Popularisation of AI technology and increasing the understanding behind the word. ● Future development of a highly innovative technology. ● Share the AI expertise with other experts and work together to develop unique solutions, algorithms, and tools to make AI available to all. Europe needs an ambitious and rapid deployment strategy, covering both business and public administration, to create an ecosystem where ideas and research translate into pragmatic socioeconomic opportunities. Meeting series The goal of the meetings is to exchange information on current situations and challenges in front of European and international AI community. The first three meetings combined the specialist from Austria, Sweden, Bulgaria, UK and Serbia AI organisations. Among the topics of discussion were: ● Creation of analytical report for the AI ecosystem in Europe ● Preparation for AI a topic in Ecosystem Summit ● Creation of Policies and projects for Synchronization between regulations of Serbia (third party countries) and EU ● Creation of a legal AI unit that works on ethics, GDPR and other restricted regulations ● Development of a framework for AI researchers ● Creation of easy access to R&D and possibilities for Cross Industry Innovative projects – exchange of know-how and closer contacts and meeting with innovative ecosystems in a field of Life Sciences, Fintech, Space technology, etc. ● Share all common event in one communication channel ● Creation of Matchmaking possibilities: connecting with international partners, exploration of Academia needs, easy entering in different markets, analysis on existing business solutions ● Review and analyses over the White paper/catalogue of regulation rules across Europe. Preparation of paper recommendations |
What is coming next?
At the end of the year we planned to join our forces to attract all AI organisations in Europe and internationally for a meeting/conference that is goal is to create a strong European AI Cluster Network and to develop Paper recommendation for future policies.
Why did you join the ECHAlliance Network of Ecosystems?
Health & Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria see a lot of opportunities into ECHAlliance Network that can support the major goals of our ecosystem, including enchanting good practices and know-how in technology transfer field, internationalization, knowledge share, attraction of potential supporters, users, customers and partners.
Who is missing from your ecosystem in terms of stakeholders?
In Bulgaria there is a missing stakeholder such as:
- VC that is dedicated to Life Sciences. The reason is a lack of expertise and successful history of investment in this field
- CROs
- There is a lack of successful stories connected to spin off companies next to the University / IP etc.
Which ecosystems are you looking to collaborate with?
- Clusters
- Investors (VCs, Angel invetors group)
- CROs
- Big Pharma
Visit the Bulgarian – Health & Life Sciences Cluster Ecosystem page here
