Bulgarian IT market is viewed as one of the most dynamic worldwide. The country has a long, rich tradition in the IT and electronics sectors and is known as the Silicon Valley of Southeastern Europe. The International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates that Bulgaria’s ICT market reached about USD1 billion in 2016, presenting a growth of 1.7 percent due to the good performance of IT services and software. The presence of multinational IT corporations implies that businesses that engage in ICT business can easily access top-notch technologies at affordable prices.
Building on its success from 2018, the Bulgarian IT Roadshow organised by BBBA (British Bulgarian Business Association) will take place in London, Ascot, and Readingduring the lastweek of May. Alongside BBBA, the Bulgarian IT companies will host and participate in numerous events, showcasing their know-how and experience.
In 2018, 17 companies with almost 30 delegates joined the first Bulgarian IT Roadshow in the UK, and in the period of five days met with businesses throughout London and the region, Liverpool, and the Northern Powerhouse area, taking part both in London Tech Week and the International Business Festival, as well as in B2B events co-organised with local chambers of commerce ,and in a grand evening cocktail in the Bulgarian Embassy in London.
The Bulgarian ICT Roadshow will consist of a series of events in London, Ascot and Reading. During these events, all UK business representatives will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the successful stories or partnerships between Bulgarian and UK businesses, the talent pool in the Bulgarian IT sphere, the favorable conditions of conducting business in Bulgaria, as well as the future possibilities shall Brexit be enforced.
Joined together by BBBA (The British Bulgarian Business Association) a selected group of Bulgarian IT companies will be travelling to the UK. The participating firms specialise in a variety of business areas and will be presenting products & services in a number of venues. The companies will be introducing items from their portfolio and will be highlighting the successful partnerships between Bulgaria and the UK.
The Bulgarian IT Roadshow will officially begin on June May 21 (Tuesday) in London with a visit to the First Bulgaria/UK Insurance, Financial, Services & Technology Event. . On Tuesday evening, you are invited to meet the participants during the official reception held by the Bulgarian Embassy in London. The roadshow will continue throughout the week with a variety of networking opportunities, including official participation in the Thames Valley Show in Ascot and the International Technology Conference in Reading.
Information technologies occupy 20% of Bulgarian outsourcing industry. Owing to the presence of R&D and BPO centers of large IT companies, Bulgaria shows great potential for reaching out numerous foreign clients. The local IT sector has a huge number (and it’s quickly developing) of local companies in the highest value-added market segments.
Bulgaria performs slightly better than the EU average when it comes to coverage of high-speed broadband in urban areas. Networks capable of providing at least 30 Mbps are available to more than two-thirds (72 percent of Bulgarian homes, above the EU average (71 percent). Additionally, what makes Bulgaria attractive for foreign clients is one of the lowest tax rates in Europe: Personal Income Tax (10%) + Social Taxes equal to 22.9%.
Event: City Week 2019
Time: 8:15 - 16:30
Location: GuildHall London
Details: Тhe premier gathering of the international financial services community. It brings together industry leaders and policy makers from around the globe to consider together the future of global financial markets and London, in particular. It consists of cutting-edge conferences, workshops, social events and networking opportunities, with other satellite events being held later during the week. The conference will feature topics such as Cyber Security and Operational Resilience, AI, Big Data and Machine Learning, and other outstanding IT business opportunities.
Event: Bulgaria – IT Destination event hosted at the Bulgarian Embassy in London
Time: 19:00 – 21:00
Location: Official Reception at the Bulgarian Embassy in London
Details: Presentation of the delegation followed by a networking opportunity. The event will be promoted to all BBBA partners in the UK, including the broad database of Bulgarians working in the UK, the members of the British Chambers of Commerce network, BBBA members in the UK, etc.
Event: Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce business breakfast
Time: 7:30 – 9:30
Location: Ascot Racecourse
Details: The BBBA IT delegation is invited to an exclusive business breakfast for the members of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce as part of the Thames Valley Expo.Delegates can mingle with CEOs from a wide variety of businesses representing the vibrant Thames Valley Economy
Event: Thames Valley Expo
Time: 9:30 – 15:00
Location: Ascot Racecourse
Details: Ascot, world-famous home of the Royal Ascot meeting, is a financial powerhouse generating thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds of economic activity. Ascot is hence reportedly ‘one of the most ‘valuable’ towns in England’! The Expo is a great opportunity to connect with the local and global industry community, allowing you to leverage valuable contacts. With 900+ businesses represented, the Expo is the largest business networking event of the year, featuring speed-dating opportunities, and knowledge sharing seminars.
Event: 1-2-1 Pre-booked meetings with Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce members
Time: 17:00 – 18:00
Location: TBC
Details: This 1-2-1 matchmaking event is co-organised by BBBA and the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce. The TVCC members will have been invited in advance to meet with the BBBA delegates, and meetings will be pre-booked based on their interest.
Event: International Technology Conference
Time: 9:00 – 16:00
Location: Reading, Microsoft Campus
Details: The BBBA IT delegation will be heavily promoted prior to and at the International Technology Conference as an official sponsor. The BBBA delegation will be represented with a speaker slot and a promotional stand for all delegate companies.
Back for its sixth year, the annual International Technology Conference equips you with the mindset, tools and resources to successfully navigate your transformational journey to the future.
Held at Microsoft HQ in Reading, the world-class line up of speakers, themes and topics in this one-day programme attract over 200 delegates from across all sectors.
*All times and venues are subject to final confirmation