High- Tec Business Incubator
THE REGION OF GABOVO
178 million dollars are invested in Gabrovo region for the period 1992-2003. The main investors are American Standard, Hamberger, Dzalli, etc. Territorialy speaking the direct foreign investments are concentrated in Sevlievo municipality, where the biggest investor is American Standard, whose Bulgarian enterprises Vidima Ideal and Ideal Standard are specialized in manufacturing sanitary faience and industrial fittings.
The total amount of direct foreign investments in North Central Planning Region (NCPR) is 360 324,3 thousand USD and Gabrovo region takes 42,65% of them leading before the other four regions included in the NCPR.
New productions - The development of Gabrovo municipality over the past 13 years is characterized by changes in the branch and product structure.
Besides the above-mentioned industries some absolutely new industries have been introduced in the region.
First, this is the cosmetic product manufacturing (toothpaste, hair dyes, shampoos, detergents, etc.) by STS HOLDING GROUP LTD-GABROVO. For a very short time the company has become the biggest manufacturer of toothpaste in Bulgaria and according to the company's statistics research the company manufactures about 100 million toothpaste annually.
Chocolate goods production is also not typical for the region but the products of STANCHO KOLEFF LTD-GABROVO are already known on five continents and equal in quality those of world leaders in the branch.
Hi-tech productions and services - The Technical University in Gabrovo training highly qualified workforce and the traditions in the research field are the basis for the development of hi-tech businesses and productions. The volume of production in that field is not outstanding but it is constantly growing and is indicative of the development tendencies in the region. A typical representative of these new companies is AMK LTD (drive and control equipment), which is a branch of the German AMK (a company specialized in the manufacturing of modern machinery and equipment control).
The computer companies once trade companies and dealers of foreign IT businesses, they have turned into producers of applied software, computer networks and systems, PC design, etc. STEMO LTD is the leading PC company in Gabrovo; it is even of national importance in the branch and among the top 10 businesses in the region by net sales revenues. It has five branches in Bulgaria. LIREX COMPUTERS JSC and EDA LTD are among the prominent ones too.
Institution like the Innovative Business Incubator is extremely applicable to assets and needs of Gabrovo and its region. Skillful use of available recourse such as Technical University, well trained young specialists, concentration of IT companies, active Non-Governmental Organizations as well as full backing from local authorities will considerably contribute to stimulating of economic, technical and social development of the region.
VISION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION
- Boosting the sustainable and balanced development of Gabrovo region by international cooperation
Stimulating economic growth by:
- Technical renovation and growing competitive ability
- Encouraging agriculture and integrating rural areas
- Improving the existing and building new technical and social infrastructure
- Developing tourism
- Pushing up the activity of small and medium-size enterprises and making it international
- Improving ecological conditions, saving energy
- Attracting local and foreign investments
- Restructuring industrial enterprises and stimulating the private sector
MOST IMPORTANT SERVICES
The physical HTBI aims at providing high quality, value-added services with priority focus on:
- Maintaining (incl. recurrent upgrade) of registers for prospective IT specialists from the region (after taking a test in three separate categories: Software Development, Networking, Web Design). The registers are accessible on-line;
- Maintaining IT training center and programs for distance learning and consulting services (download items, forums, consulting in the realm of enterprenuership and IT);
- Arranging and conducting IT and enterprenuership trainings intended for specialists from the registers;
- Training, advisory and mentoring assistance intended for specialists of the start-up IT companies;
- Marketing assistance. Provision of assistance to the start-up companies with view to receiving outsourcing orders as well as fostering their breakthrough to the big software markets in Europe and the USA. Forwarding the procedures associated with locally developed software products' exportation;
- Provision of properly equipped office space along with full package of relocation and support services at preferential conditions and affordable costs;
- Extensive resources - INTERNET infrastructure, secretarial support, receptionist, conference etc.;
- Strategic and Managerial Support services - provision of assistance with respect to procedures for obtaining certification of companies, specialists and products under preferential terms.
LINKS TO IMPORTANT WEBSITES OF OUR REGION
http://www.gb.government.bg/www.gabrovo.bg
http://www.gabrovo.bghttp://hitec-incubator.com