Sofia and Vienna Agreed to Expand the City-to-City Programme and to Collaborate on Digital Innovation and Transformation Challenges
Sofia and Vienna will expand their activities under the joint City-to-City business cooperation programme. In addition to providing support to the businesses in both cities, the two capitals will collaborate on challenges in the fields of digital innovation and digital transformation.
The decision was made in the middle of February during the two-day visit of the new Deputy mayor of Sofia for Digitalisation, Innovation and Economic Development, Mr. Vladimir Danailov, to Vienna. The Deputy Mayor met with Mr. Peter Hanke, Executive City Councillor of Finance, Business, Digital Innovation and International Affairs, Mr. Gerhard Hirczi, Managing Director of Vienna Business Agency, Ms. Sabine Ohler, International Business Director VBA, Ms. Ulrike Huemer, CIO of the City of Vienna, and Nicolai Rodimov, Regional Manager VBA.
Sofia and Vienna agreed to start active cooperation on city management and urban politics issues. The scope of collaboration includes best practice exchange, knowledge transfer, mutual application for EU instruments supporting digital transformation, and involvement of Vienna and Sofia companies in the digital transformation processes of the two capitals.
The City-to-City agreement between Vienna and Sofia was signed at the end of 2018 and prolonged for one more year in September 2019. The partnership targets companies from various priority sectors, such as Fintech, ICT, Creative Industries, Biotechnology and Life Sciences, and others. The City-to-City agreement aims to provide support to companies that want to start a business in the partner city, by providing them with information, access to contacts and practical help in setting up.
