Optimism for Bulgaria

The world’s largest conservation organization, the World Wide Fund for Nature — or WWF, as it is more commonly known — embarked on an unusual experiment: instead of focusing on the businesses of today and asking them to change their ways, it would nurture the environmentally responsible businesses of tomorrow.

Science-themed RFPs promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the life sciences by backing early-stage ventures like Martinа and Milko’s. Their effort to create knee implants from human collagen was one of 17 promising projects that received funding for further development in the program’s inaugural year.

Founded in 2019, Zero Wave utilizes used brewer’s malt to make single-use plates and comestibles. Brewer’s malt is a waste product that ends up in the dump in 95% of the cases, with Bulgaria alone producing over 240 tons of malt waste every day.

Contestants in Innovation Academy 2021 are young adults who are coming up with innovative business ideas to tackle pressing global issues. The eighth edition of the program drew 150 students from 14 universities in Bulgaria who, divided in 76 teams, worked on projects for reducing waste and stepping up recycling, encouraging blood donation, facilitating remote education and work, and improving the workplace.

The Danube is also an explorer’s heaven: the more you discover, the more there is to explore. Just when you think you have gotten to know it, the river throws a marvelous surprise your way, particularly if you venture out of the grand cities and major natural parks.

If it’s variety you are after, look no further than Vratsa Balkan Adventure Festival. Northwestern Bulgaria’s first ever culture and nature festival, on July 1–4, is a great way to kick off the summer after the privations of the past year and pack as many activities as you can in a long weekend. 

The first edition of Northwest Bulgaria Bike Tour took place on Saturday, May 29, 2021, with support from the America for Bulgaria Foundation and several municipalities, and attracted nearly 400 participants and their families, making it the biggest road bike event ever held in Bulgaria.

In 2019, the visitor center built to house the Bishop’s Basilica mosaics was nearing completion, and the outdoor spaces had to be secured to ensure visitors’ safe passage. Little did site workers know that lifting and turning one of the larger paving stones would reveal one of the most important documents about the pre-Christian history of the site and of Philippopolis itself.

For the past 13 years, the AGORA Platform has been uniting communities in Bulgaria in aid of local causes and supporting their efforts to solve problems together. In cooperation with chitalishta, civic organizations, cultural institutions, business associations, and municipalities, and with the long-term support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation and other partners, the AGORA Platform has been a catalyst for the success of hundreds of local initiatives nationwide.