Stories of Challenges, Stories of Growth
The past year, 2024, was filled with both new opportunities and significant challenges. Foreign direct investment inflows dropped by over 50%, and industrial production only began to recover at the end of the year after nearly 20 months of decline. Despite these difficulties, the Bulgarian economy demonstrated resilience and innovation potential. According to preliminary data, the country’s GDP grew by 2.8% in 2024, with a significant contribution from companies operating in the fields of robotics and automation.
Many of the members of our Association contributed to this growth. They are among the scientists, managers, entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and experts from various industries who actively supported this progress. These are the people who developed new technologies, attracted investors and partners, expanded their international presence, and created high value-added innovations. In this report, we will present the most significant achievements and successes of Bulgarian companies and organizations in robotics and automation in 2024.
Investments attracted by startups:
Our members from Smart Farm Robotics became one of 42 European companies to receive funding of €2.36 million from the European Innovation Council (EIC) accelerator.
Our members from AIoT Cloud attracted an investment of €1 million from the tech company CleverPine’s fund and one of the leading IoT entrepreneurs in Bulgaria – Dimitar Dimitrov.
Expanding R&D capacity in Bulgaria:
Our members from Festo Production opened a new laboratory at the Technical University of Gabrovo, aimed at developing high-tech solutions.
Melexis invested €1.2 million in a new laboratory in Sofia, focused on advancing sensor technology development.
Bulgarian engineering in global projects:
The Bulgarian institute INSAIT and Toyota launched a joint project to develop a new generation of AI-powered robots.
Our members from Ocado Technology in Sofia implemented machine learning and computer vision technologies in the company’s robotic arms used in global logistics operations.
Investments in high value-added projects:
Our members from Schneider Electric Bulgaria expanded their smart factory in Plovdiv with an investment of BGN 107 million, further strengthening the country’s position as a hub for automation and digitalization.
Our members from Alcomet launched a large-scale expansion program of their factory in Shumen, with an investment of BGN 136 million, aimed at modernization and automation of production.
These examples are just part of the sector’s dynamic development. Many more follow in the annual report featuring success stories from robotics and automation of 2024.
Enjoy our report.
