From June 16 to 20, Sofia will once again become the epicenter of sustainable innovation as it hosts the fifth edition of the Green Transition Forum (GTF 5.0). Organized by Dir.bg and 3E News, this annual summit has, over the past four years, evolved into the region’s definitive platform for examining how Central and Eastern Europe can reconcile economic growth with environmental stewardship.
With Europe’s ambitious net-zero targets looming large, policymakers, business leaders, and sustainability experts will gather at the Sofia Event Center to interrogate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for CEE – and to craft the policy blueprints and investment strategies that will shape the next decade of green progress
Daron Acemoglu: First Visit to Bulgaria
Among the forum’s most anticipated moments is the public lecture by MIT economist and 2024 Nobel laureate Prof. Daron Acemoglu. On Tuesday, 17 June, at 5:30 pm, Acemoglu will deliver a keynote titled “Who Will Own the Future?”, marking his first visit to Bulgaria. His presence underscores the Forum’s ambition to fuse academic rigor with pragmatic policy solutions. Drawing on his seminal works – such as Why Nations Fail and Power and Progress – Acemoglu will examine how institutional frameworks determine whether emerging technologies translate into inclusive, sustainable growth. For CEE economies still transitioning from legacy industries, his insights on the interplay between technology, institutions, and equity will be especially resonant. By the time Daron Acemoglu steps off the stage, attendees will have grappled with pressing questions about which actors – governments, corporations, or civil society – will steer the region’s transition toward a harmonious balance of economic resilience and environmental responsibility.
Channeling Private Capital into CEE’s Green Economy
Midweek, the Forum turns its focus to capital flow. On Wednesday, June 18 a spotlight session will explore how CEE can tap into private savings, pension funds, and institutional investments to fuel innovation and infrastructure. High‐level representatives from financial regulators, EU funding agencies, national development banks, pension funds, and regional investment initiatives.will examine pension fund reform and market deepening through strengthened regulatory frameworks that encourage long-term, sustainability-driven investments. The discussion will cover overcoming barriers to private equity and venture capital expansion in CEE to support high-growth sectors.
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Panelists will also consider the development of targeted financial instruments – such as investment funds, bonds, and structured products – to channel capital into strategic areas. Finally, they will address steps CEE countries can take to integrate more effectively into EU capital markets to boost financial stability and competitiveness, as well as the role of stock exchanges in CEE for boosting IPO activity, encouraging private sector growth, and developing new financial products tailored to regional needs.
Startups Gain Direct Access to EU Policymakers
During the final day – Friday June 20, GTF 5.0 will open a rare channel of direct dialogue between European Union leaders and CEE innovators. The day will open with a high-level panel examining how the EU Competitiveness Compass and Horizon Europe frameworks are driving innovation in CEE, showcasing deep-tech success stories and the role of R&D and AI in positioning the region as a tech hub.
This discussion of policy direction and startup scaling naturally leads into the “#BreakingGrounds” session ‘The Future of Innovation in CEE: A Live Policy Dialogue with EU Leaders’ which will convene EU Commissioners, members of the European Investment Fund, and EIC Fund representatives alongside regional startup founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.
In an “Ask Me Anything” format, institutional leaders – including Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Vincent van Steensel, Mandate Management Director at the EIF, and Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair, EIC Fund Board – will field candid questions from entrepreneurs about regulatory roadblocks, access to EU funding instruments, and the conditions necessary for cross-border scaling. This session is designed not as a perfunctory Q&A but as a genuine exchange intended to bridge the chasm between policy architects and those tasked with executing Europe’s green vision on the ground. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of how initiatives like “Choose Europe to Start and Scale” can be localized to spur innovation hubs in cities such as Sofia, Warsaw, and Bucharest.
As Europe navigates shifting geopolitical currents and accelerates its climate agenda, Sofia’s Green Transition Forum will serve as both a barometer of regional readiness and a catalyst for collaboration. By spotlighting the precise mechanisms behind sustainable finance and innovation, GTF 5.0 aims to ensure that CEE not only meets Europe’s green targets but sets the pace for the entire continent. Those interested in following the Forum’s evolving agenda or registering for sessions can find full details at https://greentransition.bg/en/.
