Association for innovation, business excellence, services and technology
AIBEST

During 2014, in order to ensure sustainability, the organization applied and won funding from a national program called “Development of the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy”. Our main priorities and activities on which our project proposal were:

• Support for the administrative body of the cluster, including the need to increase their specific qualification for cluster management,
• Expanding the membership through adequate positioning and recognition of the cluster not only in the country but also globally, as outsourcing services are the subject of global interest for many transnational corporations.
• Improving the image of the industry in Bulgaria and abroad, which have been achieved through the implementation of support activities related to the project implementation, namely - conducting a series of events in different planning regions, in the form of presenting the cluster and intensifying contacts with universities and municipalities to present the need for support in the field of training for the needs of the outsourcing industry.
• Fourth (but not least) was the preparation of market research to support the formation of an adequate strategy for cluster service and sustainability, as well as to identify future centers in the country where outsourcing can be developed successfully. This was especially important for the future development of the cluster and the strategy for repositioning in the upper segment of the table of top outsourcing countries in the world, which is in line with the priorities set for the national economy.

In 2016 AIBEST then known as the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association, signed a contract with the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science. The contract allowed us and our members to participate in a National Program called "IT career training". The main goal of the program was to expand the base of students who have acquired a professional qualification in the field of Computer Science and/or want to continue their education in universities in the professional fields of Informatics and/or Computer Science. By being able to participate in this program we and our members have reaffirmed the need for a dialogue between the business sector and the state; to make sure that the state via the educational system can understand the needs of the business and to allow the business to keep in touch with school and universities. With an open dialogue it was possible to make a State Educational Standard for software specialist that was developed by the business in accordance with its needs.

Three years later we have been given another opportunity and it was to participate in another National Program called "The IT business teaches", where with our previous knowledge we were able to conduct trainings up to 18 school hours, as part of the profiled or professional training of high school students. The thematic areas in which the trainings were carried through were in accordance with the approved curricula for specialized and professional training by the Ministry of Education and Science. 

By participating in both of the national programs we have helped our members to discover and attract young talent.

During 2019 AIBEST and Sofia University were able to create a Master's degree called "Outsourcing Projects and Companies" . The offered training has a strong practical orientation and aims to build skills and competencies for solving real business problems in various areas of outsourcing and offshoring. Some of our members who have specialists with extensive experience in academia, outsourcing and offshoring business are lecturers. They provide an opportunity for students to get acquainted with the work environment and solve real cases. In this way, graduates of the master's program can find a job much easier, and our members can much more easily hire young talent.Some of AIBEST’s other achievements according to the association’s major fields of work are:

• Advocacy: The establishment of a permanent standing committee in the National Assembly on Digitalization, Information Technology and Innovation - an initiative of BESCO and AIBEST
• Education: 3 editions of the "Outsourcing Projects and Companies" Master's degree
• Industry analysis: 5 editions of the AIBEST annual report
• Community: annual events such as SEE ITS SUMMIT to connect with members and partners
• Expansion: council representatives at The Global Technology and Business Services Council (GT&BSC)