A group of businessmen from Thessaloniki made a visit to the Sofia-Bozhurishte Industrial Park, managed by NCIZ, during the Bulgaria-Greece Business Forum held at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in Sofia, and reviewed the investment projects of the companies there.

The forum brought together representatives from both countries, focusing on the development of economic relations between Bulgaria and Greece in the industrial sector and addressing the challenges faced by companies.

Part of the event included B2B meetings between Bulgarian and Greek companies, whose main goal was to find new opportunities for cooperation in key sectors such as metalworking, textile industry, electrical equipment manufacturing, photovoltaics and logistics. Among the official participants in the event were Ivan Ivanov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Lilyana Pavlova, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (2019–2023) and Sergei Stanishev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2005–2009).

Yana Mladenova, Director Business Development and Projects at NCIZ, presented the investment opportunities offered by state-owned industrial zones, emphasizing that Bulgaria offers excellent opportunities to investors as part of the country’s strategy actively to develop industrial areas with established infrastructure and easy access to transport networks. 

"There is enormous potential for expanding industrial production in Bulgaria, and we are ready to support the investment intentions of our partners from Greece," Mladenova said. She added that the location of the industrial zones and their modern facilities offer ideal conditions for opening new production facilities, especially in sectors such as logistics, food and beverage, and high technology.

Greece is a traditional business partner of Bulgaria with bilateral trade in goods amounting to €4,621.8 million in 2023 and total investments from Greece in Bulgaria reaching €3.570 billion by the end of the same year.

The forum was an excellent opportunity for exchanging ideas, discussing common issues and establishing new partnerships in support of growth and innovation in the field of bilateral economic relations.