The Bulgarian ICT Cluster The European Day Of

The Bulgarian ICT Cluster The European Day Of The Entrepreneur – Sofia, 2005

National ICT Strategy • Comprehensive vision and detailed action plan for the future development of the Bulgarian economy through ICT • Collaborative effort of the private sector and the government institutions, based on consensus • Council of Ministers enforcement and establishment of Coordination Council for Information Society for the implementation of the National ICT Strategy

The Bulgarian ICT Cluster The IT Cluster Center is a new institution, based on the cumulative competence and experience of its partners: • Bulgarian International Business Association www. biba. com; • Bulgarian Information Technologies Association www. bait. bg; • Center for ICT Law www. clict. net; • BASSCOM www. basscom. org; • Association for Telecommunications www. astel-bg. com; • European Software Institute Regional Center Bulgaria www. esicenter. bg; • Club “Innovative Scenarios” (CIS); • Sofia Business Park; Open World (US NGO); • Society for Electronic Communications www. bina. bg ; • With the initial support of USAID’s Economic Growth and Investment Project

The ICT Cluster’s Mission: To make ICT the leading industry and economic and social driving force in Bulgaria Main Strategic Directions: • State ICT Policies and Practices - ensuring the participatory and timely national ICT policy formation and implementation and lobbying for better understanding on the political level for the economic importance of ICT • Market Environment for ICT – initiatives with SMEs and ICT–enabled local initiatives • Education and Professional Development - better training, education, certification and workforce experience; close collaboration with the ICT related university programs • Branding, Positioning and Promotion - formulating and positioning the Bulgarian ICT industry message. Establishing and developing relationships with partners from the different target markets

Overview of ICT Cluster System Global Outsourcing Marketplaces National IT Policy (e. g. elance. com, rentacoder. com) (IT Body) Government Online Opportunities Exchange NGOs Business Associations Technology Scholarship Fund Virtual Centers of Excellence Global “guru” network USA GER FRA national portal for credential-building projects University-affiliated Talent (includes startup IT entrepreneurs) IT COORDINATION CLUSTER CENTER International IT Companies in Bulgarian. Owned IT Companies UK UAE PPP IT Promotion Networks Abroad Regional “Quick start” e. Center Facilities European Software Institute Basic IT Education, Training, Re-Training Virtual Incubator / Business Accelerator • Tele-centers • Incubators • Business Centers • Learning Centers • E-Gov Portal Business and Technology Parks Municipalities (offer lands, buildings to PPPs) Users Bulgarian. Owned IT Firms International IT Companies in Bulgaria Innovators / Inventors Bulgarian SMEs from all economic sectors Private Developers (invest in PPPs)

Quick start Toolkit To be competitive today, investors and employers of all kinds are looking for areas that offer: • Outstanding value, reliability, and capacity in key utilities (especially telecommunications and power); • Favorable business climates whose benefits are easily accessible to small and large firms alike; • Comprehensive business support services, especially for small/new entrepreneurs and existing companies that seek to expand in regional and global markets; and • Access to valued technical and business skills needed to compete in the global market. • Toolkit focuses on how localities can effectively create publicprivate sector partnerships to effectively respond to the challenges of the global economy and charts paths for the private sector to take leading roles as developers of such projects.

Cooperation with International ICT Clusters Bulgarian ICT Cluster delegation visited Barcelona in June 2005 and established relationships with the respective cluster organizations in the Barcelona area by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation Bavarian and Bulgarian ICT business ties are traditionally strong. The Bulgarian ICT Cluster is in the process of negotiation the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in Bavaria

IT Masters Programs in Bulgaria Master of Information Technology Management (MITM) Master of Project Management (MPM) (www. bimtbg. com) Master of Science in Information Systems (http: //www-it. fmi. unisofia. bg/msis)

ICT Cluster Values 1. Evaluation, Consulting: Pull of Experts, Real Market and Legislation Knowledge 2. Export Promotion, Branding 3. Gateway to Risk Investment Funds 4. PPP moderator {ESI; ICT Sector Information Audit}

Challenges 1. To promote innovation culture and entrepreneur spirit? 2. To attract ‘risk finance’ – Angel, VC, Public 3. To achieve global competitiveness? 4. To ‘bake’ personal/team dreams, knowledge, skill into ‘convertible’ IP