A mere 11 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises in Bulgaria invest in new technologies, whereas in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands this percentage is 40, said Mark Nicklas head of the “Innovation Policy and Investment for Growth” unit of the EC at a business forum in Plovdiv, dedicated to the future of the economy and digital transformations.

Mark Nicklas pointed out that in the updated economic strategy the EC is staking on productions of high value added, digitalization, but also on the adaptation of the people. Gunnar Muent, Director of the Innovation and Competitiveness Department within the Projects Directorate at the European Investment Bank advised businesses in Bulgaria to have more courage and invest in new technologies, because at this time, Bulgaria is last in the list of European countries by this indicator.