On May 9th and 10th, 2024, the Regional Business Forum “Boosting Black Sea Blue Biz – 4BIZ” took place at the Astor Garden Hotel and in the city of Varna, organized by the Marine Cluster Bulgaria. The event was part of the 4BIZ project, supported by the Enterprise Europe Network and the European Commission’s initiative “European Maritime Day in My Country 2024”.
The forum brought together over 70 representatives from the blue economy of the Black Sea region, including businesses and stakeholders from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Spain.
The forum was opened by Mrs. Ilze Atanasova, Chair of the Managing Board of the Marine Cluster Bulgaria. Among the official guests were Mrs. Gabriela Mitova, representative of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Bulgaria, Mr. Stanimir Apostolov, Deputy Mayor of Burgas Municipality, and Mr. Alexander Kalchev, Chairman of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Shipping.
In his welcome address, captain Alexander Kalchev emphasized the significant challenges facing the maritime business in the Black Sea and called for optimism and cooperation.
Mr. Stanimir Apostolov highlighted the priority of Burgas Municipality to become the blue-green gateway of Europe through investments, job creation, and marine environment preservation by 2027.
Mrs. Gabriela Mitova welcomed the organizers and participants, emphasizing the importance of joint projects to enhance cooperation and create a favorable environment for innovation and investment in the blue economy.
During the plenary session, prof. Eden Mamut, coordinator of the 4BIZ project, presented the goals and outcomes of the project. Mr. Stavros Kalognomos from the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions and Ms. Georgia Chantzi from the International Centre for Black Sea Studies highlighted the challenges and best European practices for the blue economy in the Black Sea region. Mr. Oscar Díaz from the Spanish maritime cluster ACLUNAGA shared Spain’s experience in creating a successful business environment through the coordination of different management levels within the blue ecosystem. The session concluded with a presentation on the progress and opportunities for cooperation in the Black Sea region under the DBAN project by Mr. Georgi Sakaliev from Burgas Municipality.
A lively discussion on financial instruments and business support generated great interest, with participation from Mrs. Iliana Ivanova, Deputy Head of the Debt Financial Instruments Department at the Fund of Funds, the Fund Manager of Financial Instruments in Bulgaria and Mr. Pavel Velkov, Managing Partner at the venture capital fund Morning Side Hill Capital Management. Participants learned about new financial instruments available next year and the conditions for attracting investors, supported by successful examples.
The afternoon session presented support and financing opportunities for businesses at various stages of their development. The first day concluded with individual B2B meetings, organized with the support of the Enterprise Europe Network, where participants established new business contacts and discussed potential partnerships.
On the second day, participants visited the Institute of Oceanology “Prof. Fridtjof Nansen” and the Institute of Fisheries Resources in Varna. They were introduced to the research activities and had the opportunity for idea exchange and future collaborations. The event concluded with a partnership meeting on the 4BIZ project.
Simultaneously, participants from the Spanish maritime cluster ACLUNAGA visited leading shipbuilding and ship repair companies and held discussions with company representatives for future joint ventures.
The Regional business forum “Boosting Black Sea Blue Biz – 4BIZ” created new perspectives for innovation and sustainable growth in the Black Sea region.
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*4BIZ has received funding from the European Union’s European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) under Grant Agreement 101077576.
**Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
