The Association of Hellenic Information Technology Enterprises (SETPE) held two days of productive contacts and targeted meetings in Sofia, Bulgaria, as part of the business mission organised by the Ministry of Interior (Macedonia–Thrace Sector) on 16 and 17 February, aimed at strengthening extroversion and regional cooperation.

The SETPE delegation was headed by Anastasios Manos, Chairman of the Board of Directors, accompanied by representatives of software development and new technology companies.

A key highlight of SETPE’s engagements in Sofia was the two bilateral meetings with leading organisations of Bulgaria’s ICT and software ecosystem, ICT Cluster Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASSCOM).

In detail, during the discussions with representatives of ICT Cluster Bulgaria, led by Peter Stateff, Chairman of the Board of Directors, the issue of systematically connecting the two ecosystems was addressed, with the aim of developing synergies through joint programmes and projects.

The discussions included a mapping of trends and opportunities in the Greek and Bulgarian ICT markets — in terms of demand, the competitive landscape, areas of expertise and export potential — as well as an exploration of opportunities for cross-border cooperation in the wider Southeast European region.

At the same time, potential areas of collaboration were discussed that could enhance the extroversion of the members of both organisations, including:

• targeted business matchmaking, leveraging a database of capabilities and areas of expertise, selected B2B events, and joint participation in exhibitions,
• development of collaborations in European programmes,Interreg, Digital Europe, Horizon Europe, Eurocluster calls, among others.),
• development of a joint go-to-market approach for third markets,the Balkans, the Middle East,) and
• exchange of expertise in digital transformation fields, such as Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), Smart Manufacturing and AI applications.

In addition, emphasis was placed on the implementation mechanisms for joint initiatives, through mutual visits/business missions, the exchange of entrepreneurs under the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, and the development of an information hub for competitions and calls for proposals. Finally, the potential signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation was explored in order to define the key terms of the partnership.MoU).

Furthermore, the establishment of a strategic alliance between Greek and Bulgarian software companies, aimed at jointly expanding into European markets, was the main focus of the meeting with representatives of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASSCOM).

With the participation of Alexander Papratilov, member of the Board of Directors, the possibilities of promoting Greece and Bulgaria as a unified Balkan hub for high-quality software development were explored, through the utilisation of synergies arising from their geographical proximitynearshoring synergies).

At the same time, the organisation of targeted business networking between the members of the two organisations was explored, through the exchange of company directories and areas of expertise, in order to facilitate identified collaboration opportunities (subcontracting, joint ventures, joint development of products/solutions, partnerships for project delivery, etc.). The prospect of coordinated participation in EU funding instruments and calls, such as the Digital Europe and Horizon Europe programmes, was also discussed, with the aim of submitting joint proposals and developing mature cross-border cooperation schemes.

Particular reference was also made to common challenges affecting the sector at a regional level, such as the shortage of specialised human resources, training needs and the need to address the outflow of skilled professionals (brain drain), with both sides assessing the potential for complementary initiatives.

The Role of SETPE

The SETPE delegation that travelled to Bulgaria included, alongside Mr Manos, Konstantinos Nasias, Chief Executive Officer of EXEO, Christos Athanasiadis, Chief Executive Officer of Robovision, and Konstantina Kalpakidou, Finance Director of Robovision.

The business mission to Sofia aimed to highlight the potential of Macedonia and Thrace in key areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation and new technologies, education, supply chain and tourism, through the development of new communication channels and the cultivation of synergies with Bulgarian organisations and businesses.

SETPE, as the institutional representative of the ICT sector with a national reach, actively participated in the mission, highlighting the exceptional capabilities of Greek software development and new technology enterprises and strengthening their connection with mature ecosystems across the broader Balkan market.