When it comes to next-generation technologies, there are two types of people: those willing to adopt early-on, and those who are reluctant to accept the change. Not everyone understands how AI, big data, and blockchain work, yet, these technologies will most likely be at the core of the future workforce, healthcare, food industry, and financial services.
So can we be sure that in a few years from now the next generation of SEE business leaders will be embracing technology and driving the local ecosystem forward? One way is through presenting technology with inspiring stories, through the lenses of the leaders who are shaping the future of SEE ecosystems.
With the vision to show how exciting the world of tech can be, StartUP@Blagoevgrad, the AUBG student-led organization for entrepreneurship, will host its annual conference under the slogan “A glimpse into the future”. Taking place in a hybrid format on the 21st of November, the event will be broadcast live at the university campus and streamed online for those who can’t join in person.
“Technology gives you access to breed innovative ideas not just in a local context, but on a global level. It’s a field that is exponentially growing in our daily lives, and if we don’t keep up with technological advancements, we won’t be keeping up with society. Right now we are facing many problems, and not just on economic and environmental levels. These problems can’t just be solved with traditional methods. The only way we can get past them is with technology,” shares Nikol Peeva, President of StartUP@Blagoevgrad.
Educating students about the world of tech through examples of regional tech leaders
Divided into three main panels, the conference will explore the most exciting solutions and founders’ stories in the realms of Fintech & Blockchain, Greentech & Foodtech, and Biotech. It will unfold with a couple of different formats such as keynote presentations, interviews, and panel discussions.
The participants will meet with some of the SEE innovation pioneers such as Denitza Tyufekchieva, co-founder of Propy, the real estate blockchain startup based between Silicon Valley and Sofia, Mihai Draghici, founder of the Romanian facial biometric payments company PayByFace, and Xavier Marcenac, the co-founder of the Nasekomo, a startup that produces insect-based products for animal feed.
The event will tackle some hot biotech topics by diving into the 3D bioprinting vertical with Spas Kerimov, founder of Printivo, and exploring how thermography and AI can help society lead better lives with Georgi Kostadinov, co-founder of Kelvin Health.
Student-to-student innovation inspiration
The annual conferences of StartUP@Blagoevgrad, which are mainly focused on inspiring the young community of future innovators, are one of the two event formats organized by the university club.
The organization also holds startup incubation events that gather young entrepreneurs with business ideas with mentors from the ecosystem that help them build an MVP in a span of a weekend.
