Trade worth around 3.5 billion euros in 2012, 800 companies actively operating, investments 2 billion euros in the country, turnover of 5% of GDP and 25, 000 jobs – these are the figures representing Italy in Bulgaria telling the unknown stories of businesses, often small and medium-sized ones, which, in the times of crisis, have made this country their choice for internationalization of their business activity.

Despite the crisis Italy remains Bulgaria’s second largest EU trade partner, second only to Germany, the third one in the world, and is well placed in various economic sectors, for example, agriculture, manufacturing – in both areas of traditional manufacturing of textile, shoes and machines, and technologically advanced areas such as energy and information and communication technologies. The first data of 2013 indicate growth of 23.6% in import from Italy and 25.4% of Bulgarian export to the peninsula.

These are the figures and topics to be discussed by representatives of the institutions and the business at the event “Pocket-size multinationals – Italian small and medium-sized enterprises on the Bulgarian market” which is going to be held on 13 June, from 9.00 a.m., in Sheraton Hotel, Sofia.

The event organized by the Italian Institute of Foreign Trade (ICE) and Confindustria Bulgaria, an association of Italian businesses in Bulgaria, with the support of UniCredit Bulbank and Generali Bulgaria, will gather together, in 3 panel discussions in a row, Italian and Bulgarian experts.

The guest participating in the event include the Italian Ambassador in Sofia, Marco Conticelli, Vincenzo Boccia – president of Piccola Industria, part of Confindustria – the principal organization of manufacturing companies and service providers in Italy which numbers as its members around 150 thousand businesses of different sizes employing 5.5 million people in total, as well as Giovanni Sacchi, director of the service for coordination of the services for the promotion of the System Italy, part of ICE, who knows very well the realities of Bulgaria since he used to be director of the institute in Sofia.

Internationalization in Bulgaria is possible and first-hand proof of this will be provided at the meeting by several entrepreneurs who have made their companies stronger and more competitive through their business activities in the country.

The groups Caraglio (electro-industrial systems and equipment), Martinelli (logistics and import-export), MBM Metalwork (machine manufacturing), PVB Power (energy) and Rigoni di Asiago (bio-agriculture) will tell not only of their experience and the opportunities they have taken but also of the difficulties they faced. The major sectors in which Italian companies work are the textile industry, electronics, renewable energy, infrastructure, tertiary and shoe-manufacturing sectors.

The closing discussion panel of the conference will focus on the financial instruments available to companies and will include as participants Andrea Casini, Chief Operating Officer of UniCredit Bulbank, and Diana Maneva, Executive Officer and Member of the Management Board of Generali Bulgaria, Nikola Stoianov, Executive Director of Bulgarian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Promotion Agency, and Borislav Stefanov, Director of InvestBulgaria Agency.

More information for clients:

UniCredit Bulbank, Call Centre

Phone: 0700 1 84 84

More information for media:

UniCredit Bulbank, Identity & Communications Department

Viktoria Blajeva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Magdalena Ivanova, Phone: + 359 2 9232 528, nbhebmfob/jwbopwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch