Information technologies are taking over any business environment in a rapid manner. However, their main concentration is in the capital city, while an increasing number of programs envisage the development of communications and digital technologies across small municipalities. “IT experts generate between 4 and 5 percent of GDP in this country”. That was what Mr. Petar Ivanov, chair of the board of The Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies /BAIT/ said at the award-giving ceremony of the organization. He also explained the reforms necessary in the sector, along with the number and the lack of HR resources:

“The branch is highly technological and innovative, we all know that. However, may be some people are unaware of the fact that more than 1 percent of Bulgaria’s manpower can be found in the IT sector. We are some 50,000 experts short here, 1 million for Europe and more than 4.5 million across the globe. The making of a good business environment is not enough, in order for the development of the IT business in Bulgaria to continue. It should be better than the one of the neighboring countries, so that we can afford to develop more business, as it is extremely mobile.”

Awards were handed in 12 different categories.

The special BAIT prize 2014 for the development of information and communication technologies was given by Teodosyi Teodosiev, a head of the national school in physics and applied mathematics, which has prepared many Bulgarian medal winners.

President Rosen Plevneliev handed the prize. The awarded teacher said exclusively for RB:

“There was a time with not a single award in my life, but I continued to work. There was a period of a crisis in the state, there were no workshops in physics – I continued to work again and so the factory for intellect didn’t stop preparing young talents. I have named it a system for the formation of power intellect, producing the most important product – good education. I like perfect things and I try to turn my students into the perfect intellects.”

How does Mr. Teodosiev succeed in motivating young people?

“My father taught me that one deserves no rest through his entire life. When you die, they put a table Here Rests … and then you have eternity to rest through. I consider myself an art person. It is inspiring to give a soul to a body and to create a global person, involved in the making of the best intellectual products worldwide.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev