Ilia Krustev, CEO at A Data Pro and Chairman of AIBEST (Association for Innovation, Business Excellence, Services and Technology), and Dobromir Ivanov, Chairman of BESCO (Bulgarian Startup Association), recently took part in the latest edition of the AIBEST Talks podcast. Together with podcast host Elenko Elenkov, they discussed the expectations IT companies have for the development of the sector in Bulgaria. Some of the questions they covered included:

  • Whether the government and institutions can be partners to businesses;
  • How the government should develop the labour market;
  • Whether Bulgaria is perceived as an attractive investment destination;
  • What they would do if they had access to a supercomputer.

One of the key factors for a company or organisation to be successful is the environment in which it operates – more specifically the political environment, including business development policies and programmes, resource security and access to skilled human resources, to name a few. In the fifth episode of AIBEST Talks, Ilia and Dobromir talked over where they think the Bulgarian government should turn its attention towards, in order to improve the business climate in the country and benefit from additional investment opportunities.

The conversation outlined the good practices that have been launched over the years in terms of the IT, BPO and startup ecosystem. Another important topic of conversation was education, both secondary and higher, and the measures that need to be taken to improve our workforce quality. 

Can the government and institutions be a partner to businesses in Bulgaria? In many countries, the latter two often become clients of companies from sectors that are of great economic importance, which, in turn, acts as a stimulus for local companies to develop services that have a higher added value.

Interested to listen to the full AIBEST Talks episode? It is available in Bulgarian and you can find it here.

AIBEST Talks

AIBEST Talks is the podcast of AIBEST (the Association for Innovation, Business Excellence, Services, and Technology).

The episodes give insights into the development of the industry and discuss relevant topics with key stakeholders. Key topics include education and talent development, best business practices, innovation and trends, and many more.

Ilia Krustev AIBEST A Data Pro

 Ilia Krustev

As CEO of A Data Pro, Ilia has built a world-class management team and successfully led the company for more than 10 years.

Ilia has wide-ranging business interests and is a vocal advocate for sustainable and innovative business practices. Under his leadership, A Data Pro has also become a key partner to Bulgaria’s largest universities.

He holds an MBA from the Cotrugli Business School and is certified in Global Management and Leadership from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. He additionally specialised in SME Human Resources Development at Tokai University. Ilia also currently serves as Chairman of the Bulgarian Association for Innovation, Business Excellence, Services, and Technology (AIBEST).

Dobromir Ivanov Besco Dobromir Ivanov

Dobromir Ivanov has more than 10 years of experience in Executive Management in business and non-profit fields. Currently, he is the Chairman of BESCO – the Bulgarian Startup Association. He finds himself excited about developing easy-to-use products that solve fundamental problems.

Dobromir holds a master’s degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria, a postgraduate degree in Economic Development from Harvard-affiliated Center for Economic Strategy and Competitiveness, and has been through different entrepreneurial programmes.

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