Round table at BCCI on the draft-bill on innovations

 

The Innovation Council with BCCI discussed at a round table the draft-bill on innovations, drafted per request of the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism. Over 40 renowned representatives of the business, scientific and academic circles took part in the discussion. In his welcoming remarks the President of BCCI Tsvetan Simeonov emphasized the crucial role of innovations for the development of Bulgarian business, as well as of BCCI’s support and encouragement. According to him, the law must contain clear legal definition of all terms, in order to restrict administration’s powers in assessing any particular situation. Scientific programmes must be enunciated in a way that stimulates scientific units which have attracted private capitals for the implementation of certain projects. In this case, additional financing from the state must be granted. The investments of companies in innovative projects may likewise be exempt from taxes. The round table discussion was moderated by Mr. Yosif Avramov, Co-chairman of the Innovation Council and member of the Management Board of BCCI. 

The main principles laid down in the draft-bill were outlined by Mrs. Zhana Velichkova, acting Director “Investments, innovation and entrepreneurship” at the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism. She presented the goals of Bulgarian innovation policy, the tools and mechanisms for their achievement and implementation, among which is the activity of the National Innovation Fund. Positions on the draft-bill were presented by Prof. Stefan Hadzhitodorov, Co-chairman of the Innovation Council with BCCI and Chief Scientific Officer at the Bulgarian Academy of Science, Assoc. Prof. Ivan Kralov, Deputy Chancellor of Technical University – Sofia in charge of scientific research and Mr. Rumen Atanasov, President of the Bulgarian Association of Electrical Engineering and Elecronics, member of the Council of Sectorial Organizations with BCCI. Interesting opinions were expressed by Assoc. Prof. Plamen Vachkov, Secretary General of the Federation of the Scientific Engineering Unions, Mr. Stoyan Shatov, Construction Entrepreneur – “Plastron” company and member of the Innovation Council with BCCI, Prof. Kostadin Kostadinov, Scientific Officer at the Bulgarian Academy of Science, Mr. Angel Milev, representative of Applied Research and Communications Foundation, which was awarded the public procurement contract by the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism for drawing up the draft-bill, Prof. Metodi Teoharov, representative of the Institute of Soil Science “Nikola Poushkarov” and the Agricultural Academy and others. 

All participants in the round table discussion agreed on the need of recent completion of the work on the draft-bill by the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism and its deposition in the Parliament, so that it can be adopted by the National Assembly by the end of the summer session. Several suggestions were made to the representative of the Ministry, among which regulation of our participation in the European Technological Institute, legal protection of intellectual property related to innovation, and most of all, propositions regarding the future activity of the National Innovation Fund. According to the participants, the Fund should operate as a public-private body and representatives of the largest employers’ and sectorial organizations, as well as of the largest scientific and academic unions should participate in its Board, for example representatives of the Bulgarian Academy of Science, the Agricultural Academy, the Federation of the Scientific Engineering Unions, Technical University – Sofia as well as other large and renowned Bulgarian universities. Representatives of these organizations should also participate in the selection and evaluation committees and in the approval of innovative projects by the Fund.  

02.03.2012