SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION was founded as non-profit organization with the decision 348
of the Sofia Municipal Council to work for the sustainable development of the capital.
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SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION WAS A PART OF THE FIFTH SI PLUS PROJECT MEETING IN BRATISLAVA
On October 12, 2022, the fifth SI PLUS project meeting was held in Bratislava, which aimed to outline the next steps in the creation of national centers for competences and social innovations in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. The event was held together with another event on the subject of the role of social innovations in public administration and more specifically in the context of the ESF+.
Sofia Development Association is a partner in the project, which aims to provide professional support services to social innovation in public policy on employment and the labour market.
The project is funded by the European Commission, the European Social Fund and the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation.
The project is funded by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, European Social Fund and European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation.
HACKATHON “INNOAIRCHALLENGE: JUST GREEN TRANSITION AND URBAN MOBILITY”
Sofia Development Association (SDA), Sofia Municipality and DXC Technology launch a hackathon “InnoAirChallenge: Just Green transition and Urban Mobility”, the grand finale of which will be held live on November 11, 2022. The hackathon challenges participants to look for bold technological solutions that guide the vision for a next generation transport services and connectivity in Sofia.
If you are interested in sustainability technology and innovation, and if you have ideas that can improve our urban environment, take part in the hackathon with a team of 2 to 5 persons in order to propose solutions for cleaner mobility and environment. The team of SDA and DXC Technology will guide you and mentor you throughout the process – from the registration to the submission of the final project and the presentation before the jury. The three ideas with the highest scores will be awarded total financing of 15,000 BNG (7,500 Euro) provided by DXC Technology, to further develop and implement the solutions.
The hackathon finale will be held live on November 11 and will include events open to all – students, start-ups, professionals, and citizens. For teams, based outside of Sofia, an online presentation of projects will be arranged. A special award selected by the audience will be given, provided by SDA.
The hackathon is not a one-time event, it is part of a series in the framework of the INNOAIR project, co-funded by the ERDF through the initiative Urban Innovative Actions. Sofia is the first Bulgarian city selected to join the community of innovative European cities.
The hackathon is also part of the programme of EIT Climate - KIC Hub Bulgaria.
What are the challenges?
• Mobility as a service
• Next generation urban public transport stops and routes
• Easier and smart parking
• Engaging citizens with transport decision-making
How to make sure the transport solutions meet the needs and expectations of the citizens? What efficient ways for feedback can we use to regulate and further develop Sofia urban mobility?
What are the awards for the winners?
8 000 BGN for first prize
5 000 BGN for second prize
2 000 BGN for third prize
The awards are provided by DXC Technology, the biggest IT company in Bulgaria. The company works in different business spheres with diverse and innovative technologies – Cloud computing, Security, Applications, Analytics and Big Data, Digital Transformation and others.
The mission of the company is to assist its clients on their road to IT innovations and to accompany their transformation in the digital future.
There is an additional audience award, provided by Sofia Development Association.
For more information on the program, the challenges, the jury and how you can register, visit Innoair’s website: https://innoair-sofia.eu/
A SUCCESSFUL SOFIA URBAN REGENERATION EXAMPLE FOR AND THROUGH ART
One abandoned open-air stage in St. Troitsa Park is already renovated! A group of young people – participants in the Academy for Visionaries – gave it a new life with the support of Sofia Development Association, Ilinden Regional Administration and Sofia Municipality. The stage is completely refurbished and decorated by visual artists with Bulgarian embroidery motifs. But in order to start a new life, the stage must become a venue of cultural offering. That is why on October 15 the renovated stage offered a day-long programme with live music by Nomad band and the singer DIA, while Taratantsi folk dance studio organized workshops and sports activities with the citizens.
In 2021 in the framework of AGORA project many worn-out and abandoned open-air stages in Sofia were mapped and identified for regeneration since they do not meet the expectations of artists and audience. At the same time, citizens’ expectations, and interest in cultural events in the open are growing. AGORA project provided an opportunity for two pilot transformations – one of which this stage – as well as for the development of Sofia Agenda for urban regeneration for and through art.
The AGORA project is implemented under the INTERREG Danube program and is co-financed by the European Union funds (ERDF, IPA II).
AGORA PROJECT MEETING IN PRAGUE
Hosted by the Prague9 district, AGORA partners met in person on October 12-13, 2022, to update each other on their Flagship projects, learn together from common challenges, identify lessons learned. A special focus was put on thinking about the sustainaility of their pilot interventions and urban regeneration strategies for and through culture.
The hosts from Prague 9 demonstrated their good practices and pilot actions in the area of urban renovation.
The final AGORA public conference will be held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania – the project lead partner, on the 6th and 7th of December, 2022.
The AGORA project is implemented under the INTERREG Danube program and is co-financed by the European Union funds (ERDF, IPA II).
INNOAIR PROJECT PRESENTED AT #EURegionsWeek
The European Week of Regions and Cities is the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to cohesion policy bringing together regions and cities from all over Europe, including politicians, administrators, experts, and academics. The 20th edition took place from 10 to 13 October 2022, under the motto “New Challenges for Europe’s Cohesion”. The topics included the green and digital transitions, territorial cohesion, young people’s empowerment, social and economic challenges, and the programme comprised of workshops and seminars, exhibitions, high-profile sessions.
During the EURegions Week the new EC’s initiative European Urban Actions, successor of the current Urban Innovative Actions, made its public debut through an online seminar and announced its first call for proposals. As part of this presentations two of the 86 UIA funded projects altogether were invited to be showcased as examples and inspiration for the nearly 300 registered seminar attendees.
Sevdalina Voynova, INNOAIR coordinator, explained the new electric public transport on-demand service, the green corridors, SofiaCoin app and otter new developments in Sofia introduced in the framework of the project, and answered participant questions regarding the risks, necessary partnerships, social fairness, and citizen engagement. /https://vimeo.com/759812772/
The new EUA programme will hold one of its 4 information days in Sofia on November 29-30, 2022.
INNOAIR project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.
UNIVERSITY, MEET LOCAL COMMUNITIES
What do young history students from Sofia University, cyberethnography and Japanese Onsen culture have in common? Can we “catch up” with the Japanese? Do you know where is Slaveinovo village, now with only 92 inhabitants but home to more than 120 Bulgarian medical doctors?
These and many other interesting facts were shared during the presentation of two research projects of students and faculty from Sofia University, within the UniverCity project. The presentations were online, on 7 October 2022, and brought together the researchers and members of Sofia Development Association and Sofia Municipality. The two research projects follow the methodology of community research awards, where researchers delve into a topic or issue identified as important by the community. The research team of Asst. Prof. Petya Grueva, History Department of Sofia University, focused on studying the collective identity and history of a small village in the southernmost border of Bulgaria, using digital formats to preserve for the future the oral stories shared by the inhabitants of Slaveino. The research group of Dr. Lyudmila Kirilova, Center for Eastern Languages and Studies, did work in the town of Draginovo, with the ambition to introduce some good practices from Japan on how to use the local mineral springs. Though only some kilometers away from Velingrad, dubbed the ‘spa center of the Balkans,’ the small town is yet to make the best of its rich natural resources.
At SDA, we are committed to constantly expanding the local communities of knowledge by engaging students and researchers in our projects and programs; this joint forum with Sofia University confirms our belief that neither pure research nor policies themselves can respond to the multiple needs of modern society. In today’s global world being (digitally) connected and multi-actor collaboration are important premises for small communities to solve their problems, sometimes with solutions coming literally from the ‘other end of the world.’
The project UniverCity is coordinated by Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, with the financial support of the Erasmus+ Program.
