Leaders from Over 19 Countries to Join Bulgarian Ministers and Executives at the 2026 GIS in Sofia
Next month, Sofia will host the 2026 Global Innovation Summit. From October 19 to 22, leaders from over 19 countries, including university presidents, CEOs, government officials and other senior leaders, will gather in the city. Under the theme “Powering Competitiveness: Energy, Infrastructure and Digital Innovation for Economic Transformation,” this global dialogue will focus on the critical drivers powering competitiveness today: infrastructure, energy and digital transformation.
They will be joined by a range of distinguished Bulgarian officials, including Alexander Pulev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry; Iva Petrova, Minister of Energy; and Ivan Vasilev, Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation.
Hosted in partnership with corporate member Glavbolgarstroy Holding (GBS), one of the largest construction groups in Southeastern Europe, athe Summit will examine how energy security, next-generation grids, infrastructure investment and digital innovation underpin global, regional and local economic transformation over the next decade.
“The Global Innovation Summit offers an exceptional inside view into the key issues shaping competitiveness strategies and an exclusive platform for high-level networking and strategic dialogue. In Bulgaria, we will witness firsthand the country’s economic transformation and learn more about the forces shaping the next decade of competitiveness,” says GFCC Founder and President Deborah L. Wince-Smith.
On October 20, the Summit program will also feature a conversation with Preslav Tonkov, Senior Advisor, Global Analytics at Gallup, on where Southeast Europe stands in the global competitiveness landscape and where it is headed, drawing on the firm’s latest data. The day will close with a leadership conversation on the next decade of competitiveness, followed by a Gala Dinner and the presentation of the 2026 Global Competitiveness Awards.
The full program includes the GFCC Annual Meeting on October 19; a visit to Sofia Tech Park, Bulgaria’s first science and technology park, on October 21, and a trip to the Trakia Economic Zone on October 22, with stops at the GBS plant and the historic city of Plovdiv.
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