19 May 2026
The second stakeholder working meeting under the SteelCityZen project took place today at the Stara Zagora Labour Office Directorate. The international project DRP0301318 SteelCityZen is implemented by the Municipality of Stara Zagora under the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027, funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund and co-financed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. Representatives of businesses and various institutions attended the meeting.
The project brings together eight municipalities and three established organisations from across Europe, with the Stara Zagora Labour Office Directorate serving as an associated partner at the local level. Its objective is to support the transition of industrial cities in the Danube Region towards more diverse, inclusive and sustainable labour markets through stronger cooperation between institutions, employers and other local stakeholders.
Georgi Gyokov, Director of the Stara Zagora Labour Office, emphasised the significance of the meeting, describing it as “extremely important for how the green and digital transitions will be implemented”. He noted that industrial cities such as Stara Zagora and their surrounding regions face considerable challenges. In his view, one of the project’s main strengths is that it brings together representatives from different countries that have already undergone, or are currently undergoing, similar transitions, creating opportunities to exchange valuable experience.
Rositsa Raykova, Head of the Department of Investments, Energy Efficiency and Green Transition at the Municipality of Stara Zagora, welcomed the participants and stressed the need for the region to make full use of the opportunities offered by the European Union to exchange experience, ideas and good practices. She noted that participation in each project is essential, as joint efforts and partnerships are the way to find appropriate solutions. She concluded by wishing all participants success and productive discussions.
Mariana Perchemliyeva, Chief Expert in the Department of Investments, Energy Efficiency and Green Transition at the Municipality of Stara Zagora, presented the project’s objectives, activities and expected outcomes, as well as the municipality’s role in its implementation.
During the meeting, participants discussed opportunities to identify and address key challenges facing the local labour market, particularly the need for new skills, workforce retraining and economic diversification.
A local labour market analysis was presented, identifying the region’s main risks and challenges as demographic decline and population ageing, the outflow of young and skilled workers, shortages of qualified staff, and a mismatch between the skills required by businesses and those available in the labour market.
The analysis noted that unemployment in the Stara Zagora district is low, at 2.6%, below the national average. At the same time, employers face significant shortages of skilled staff. There is a growing need for specialists with digital skills, engineering and technical competencies, knowledge of automation, green technologies and data analysis, and the skills required to work in modern manufacturing.
According to the analysis, the region has significant development potential in areas such as mechatronics and mechanical engineering, automation and Industry 4.0, automotive component manufacturing, ICT and software technologies, hydrogen technologies, renewable energy and modern agriculture. Particular attention was given to mechatronics, identified in the analysis as a key driver of the region’s economic transformation beyond the coal industry.
Stara Zagora continues to attract substantial new investments in key economic sectors, including automotive components, solar panels and green technologies, logistics, robotic manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. For the third consecutive year, the Municipality of Stara Zagora received the prestigious “Municipality with the Most Investments in Bulgaria” award, recognising its performance in 2025. New business operations and projects in renewable energy, high-tech manufacturing, automation and hydrogen technologies are expected to create jobs in the region. This reinforces Stara Zagora’s potential to establish itself as a modern industrial and technological centre as its economy undergoes transformation.
Participants also learned about the positive experience gained at the second SteelCityZen partner meeting, held in Nikšić in March 2026. The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between partners and establishing a solid foundation for the next stage of project implementation.
The presentations were followed by a lively discussion, during which stakeholder representatives shared ideas and views that will inform the development of pilot solutions to be tested. These initiatives will be implemented in cooperation with interested employers—Videoton Bulgaria, Regiocom and E Dynamics—as well as the Labour Office and the municipality.
Participants discussed opportunities for closer cooperation between the municipality, businesses, educational institutions and employment organisations, including joint training, retraining, collaborative initiatives, and the sharing of data and good practices.
Through SteelCityZen, the Municipality of Stara Zagora aims to help build a more resilient and adaptable local labour market that responds to ongoing economic and social changes.
