Southeast Digital Innovation Hub
Overview
The Southeast Digital Innovation Hub, or DigIhub, is a non-for-profit organization established by representatives of the public, private, non-governmental and the educational sectors in the South East Region of Bulgaria (BG34). The SouthEast Digital Innovation Hub provides business enterprises with up-to-date information, expert assistance and access to technology for testing digital innovations. It also helps to carry out and conduct experiments with products, processes or business models.
Our mission is to facilitate the effective transition to digitalisation of the working processes, to support the representatives of tahe business in the region for the introducing and/or implementation of digital technologies and intelligent systems, and for offering of services with higher quality.
DigIhub seeks significant changes in the field of digitizing industry in Bulgarian companies with focus on the South-East Region based businesses, thus increasing their competitiveness and added value. DigIhub has the ambition to become the heart of the innovation ecosystem of the SouthEast Region by providing the following services to SMEs:
Awareness creation
Ecosystem building, networking, brokerage
Visioning and strategy development for businesses
Collaborative research
Concept validation and prototyping
Testing and validation
Pre-competitive series production
Incubator/accelerator support
Market intelligence
Access to the centers of competences
Mediation services
Aid for funding
Mentoring
Education and skills development
DigIhub enables the trans-sectoral joint initiatives, workshops, and innovative start-ups. It contributes to the realization of joint projects for digital transformation of the business, which boosts the technological and innovative potential of the region for providing of a wide range of services in the area of tourism, cultural identity, logistic and mobility.
Objectives:
To support the implementation of the European Digital single market strategy at local and regional levels;
To create a service portfolio connected with the digitalization, that will be provided through the established partnership networks;
To perform assessment of the stakeholders’ digitalisation potential;
To offer affordable solutions and a digital platform for small and medium business management with free access to optional modules to facilitate the digital transition;
To advise on individual solutions and support the innovation or transformation of existing processes through digital technologies;
To support the knowledge and technology transfer for effective technological development;
To enable an opportunity for creation and enhancement of the digital potential of the business in a specialized Certification Centre.
Capabilities:
Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF
Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials
Robotics and autonomous systems
Internet of Things
Artificial Intelligence and cognitive systems
Location based technologies
Cyber security
Data mining, big data, database management
Augmented and virtual reality, visualization
Simulation and modelling
Software as a service and service architectures
Cloud computing
Additive manufacturing
ICT management, logistics and business systems
Internet services (e.g. web development, web production, design, networking, and e-commerce)
Management board:
Ina Agafonova - Board member
Ina Agafonova is Executive Director of Digitalization and Integration of New Technologies Foundation (DINT). She is an experienced executive officer with a demonstrated history of working in the renewables & environmental industry. Strong entrepreneurship professional with a master degree in International Economic Relations and second master in Ecology. Skilled in negotiation, business planning, strategic planning and business development.
Prof. Sotir Sotirov PhD - Board member
Councilor in the Municipal Council – Burgas and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Science, Innovation and Operational Programs, Vice Rector for International Relations, Head of Intelligent Systems Laboratory Prof. Assen Zlatarov University.
Petko Georgiev - Chairman
Petko Georgiev is the initiator and chairman of the ICT Cluster – Burgas. He has been working in the field of information technology for nearly 10 years. Part of Cluster’s successful initiatives are providing free training for students and IT talents and attracting some of the largest IT companies in the city of Burgas. He is responsible for the creation of startup ecosystem and modern business and conference conditions in the region.
Founders:
Burgas Municipality
Burgas is located in southeastern Bulgaria. It has a modern telecommunications network and offers service at the lowest salaries throughout the European Union. The port city with a population of about 207 thousands residents is very attractive for firms engaged in information technology. Burgas Municipality is co-organizer of several Hackathons, free Summer IT Academies for schoolboys/schoolgirls and students and other educational formats and in all the major events related to promoting and development of the ICT sector in Burgas. Thanks to it's active and successful work supporting of Digital and entrepreneurial ecosystem the City of Burgas has received the award of the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association for a Technological City of the year 2018.
More information: https://burgas.bg/
ICT Cluster Burgas - The digital ecosystem of Burgas.
Cooperation of 30+ Burgas ICT companies and organisations with mission to develop the ICT industry, new business opportunities through cross-border, cross-industry and cross-cluster collaboration.
ICT Cluster is actively working to promote, support and develop cooperation between all businesses, universities, schools and government institutions in the field of information and communication technologies to create favorable conditions for their development, enhance their competitiveness at national and international level.
More information: http://ictc-burgas.org/en
Industrial and Logistic Park - Burgas
The main idea of creating the company is the construction of an internal technical infrastructure of distinct industrial sites located on the territory of the "PZ SEVER" of Burgas for the purpose of improvement the business climate and attracting local and foreign investments in the municipality.
More information: https://www.industrialpark-burgas.bg/en
Digitalization and integration of new technologies Foundation (DINT Foundation)
The foundation was created in public benefit in the beginning of 2018 with the aim to support and develop digital ecosystems and entrepreneurship in Bulgaria. With mission to carry out a total digital transformation in Bulgaria in the forthcoming decade.
More information: http://www.dint.digital/en
University - “Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov”
Is the only state university in Southeast Bulgaria. It was founded on 6th October 1963 by Decree № 162 of the Council of Ministers as a Higher Chemico-technological institute “Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” which connected forever it with the name of its patron. “Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” University was ratified as such by a resolution of the National Assembly in 1995.
“Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” University was institutionally accredited by resolution №16 of 17.05. 2007 of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency for the term of 6 years.
More information: https://www.btu.bg/index.php/en/
Burgas Free University
Was established with an Act of The Great National Assembly on 18 September 1991, and is one of the first non-state universities in the country.
The University is accredited by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency and is certified under the International Quality Standard ISO 9001:2008.
More information: https://www.bfu.bg/en
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the leading scientific, spiritual and expert center of Bulgaria. It conducts research, training and activities of national and international importance and solves problems related to the development of Bulgarian society and state. The Academy has a consistent policy for the development of science and innovation as a condition for economic progress in the country. It is an active participant in the European Research Area. The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences conducts scientific research in accordance with universal values, national traditions and interests. It participates in the development of world science and helps to multiply the spiritual and material wealth of the nation.
More information: http://www.bas.bg/
Governmental bodies:
Governorship of Burgas - https://www.bs.government.bg/en
Municipality of Burgas – https://www.burgas.bg/en/index/index
Bulgarian Small and Medium Entreprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) - https://www.sme.government.bg/en/?page_id=2001
Industrial park - https://www.industrialpark-burgas.bg/en
Regional Development Agency Burgas Digital technologies.