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Whats Next in Europe: Emerging Hi-Tech Markets and Opportunities

November 17, 2004 -- Forget India, Let`s Go To Bulgaria, wrote Business Week several months ago, recognizing Bulgarias nearby talent, competitive pricing and economic stability as the new East European hub for developing sophisticated products and solutions in information technologies.

From November 28th to December 8th three US venues Stanford University (CA), Seattle (WA) and Washington (DC), will host conferences and one2one meetings with 20 leading Bulgarian companies and associations, led by top Bulgarian government officials.

I c Talent Bulgaria branded presentations will discuss the robust legal framework, liberal tax environment, cutting-edge skills and favorable cost structures that position Bulgaria as a preferred location for knowledge-based businesses and for investment in technology, shared services and R&,D activities.

US companies, attending the conferences, will benefit from the comprehensive introduction to government support for setting up operations in the country and local potential. Bulgaria, the leading applicant to enter the EU in 2007, ranks first in IT certified specialists per capita in EMEA, third in Europe in number of ICT specialists, and beats Ireland, Hungary and Poland in pricing for IT skill sets.

The conference sessions will match US hi-tech companies, venture capitalists and angels with reliable Bulgarian partners for R&,D, software development and product customization.

Telecommunications, Security and Biotech are the targeted sectors. As a NATO member, Bulgarias strategic role in the region is attracting a lot of foreign attention. The featured Bulgarian companies have developed competitive expertise in these areas through numerous projects with both US and EU partners. To confirm the growing interest the Bulgarian IT visit will be succeeded by two US delegations to Bulgaria in early spring and autumn of 2005, said Elitsa Panayotova, Commercial and Economic Attach at the Embassy of Bulgaria in Washington, DC.

Supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the current visit is organized by the Invest Bulgaria Agency and its local partners BulgariaHiTech, Carr, Swanson &, Randolph, and the Commercial and Economic Office, Embassy of Bulgaria.