Bulgarian Industry Research Articles

The Great Compensation Agreement of 1934 and the Overcome of the Crisis in the Bulgarian Tobacco Industry

The Great Depression (World Economic Crisis 1929 – 1933) did not significantly affect Bulgarian industry. The crisis inflicted the greatest damage on the tobacco industry because it produces tobacco products exclusively for the foreign market. The article examines the way in which the Bulgarian state manages to deal with this crisis. This is mainly due to the measures carried out by the government of the People’s Bloc (1931 – 1934), which were supported and continued by the next cabinet of the Military Union and the “Union” Political Circle. These actions of the two governments, known in the literature as the “Great Compensation Deal”, represent a significant breakthrough in Bulgaria’s foreign trade, which almost froze during the crisis. The article makes a small contribution to the objective and unintended assessment of the so-called “Regime of the Nineteenth Stomach” and its place in Bulgarian economic history in the 1930s.

Determinants of Firm Competitiveness: Econometric Evidence from the Bulgarian Industry

The factor effects of profitability at company and sectoral levels have earned a special status in research literature as a general measure of competitiveness. The Covid-19 crisis resulted in restrictions in consumption, rising levels of company debt, and increased concerns about company liquidity, which has led to revenue risks for industrial production firms. This study attempts to examine several factor effects that have impacted the financial performance, respectively the competitiveness of Bulgarian enterprises.

Theoretical research of transmissions and gearboxes

Significant aspects of the consequences of global warming and some measures that can be undertaken in order to reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions have been presented. The most important actions I this field are related to the renewal of the design of automobile vehicles and their components. A theoretical survey has been carried out in two main areas: invesitigating possibilities of improving the operational characteristics and the design parameters of transmissions and gearboxes, aiming to identify the areas of future dissertation research. A systematization of the reviewed scientific publications has been carried out. Main areas in which additional research can be carried out, related to the specific features of the Bulgarian industry and the state of the available cars in usage, have been identified.

The Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age – challenges for the Bulgarian Industry

On 1st of February 2023, the European Commission presented an Industrial plan in the context of the Green Pact to boost the competitiveness of Europe's zero net emissions industry and support the rapid transition to climate neutrality. The plan aims to provide a more favourable framework for the expansion of EU production capacity for the zero net emission technologies and products needed to meet Europe's ambitious climate targets. The aim of the study is to identify the challenges that this plan poses to the Bulgarian industry. In Bulgaria, industrial transformation is a continuous process. In the context of the overall development of this key economic sector, the importance of the concepts of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 should be considered, along with the assessment of the risks that disruptive technologies bring.

Digital transformation of the Bulgarian industry

Information and communication technologies are the major driving force of the digital revolution in Europe and the bedrock underpinning the construction of a competitive knowledge-based economy. As a Member State of the EU, Bulgaria is pursuing a policy on the preparation and development of human, institutional and organisational capacity necessary to obtain societal and economic advancement. Adopting such a perspective, the paper aims to explore the nature of the digital economy in the context of Industry 4.0. To that end, the paper further examines the state of utilization of digital technologies in the Bulgarian industrial enterprises, which provided the basis for specific set of recommendations to be made on improving the process of digital transformation of the Bulgarian industry.

Soviet-bulgarian interaction in Perm region in the 1950s

In the article, major events related to the training of Bulgarian specialists at the Bereznikovsky nitrogen fertilizer plant in the 1950s have been reconstructed, based of previously unpublished archive materials of «AZOT» JSC fund of the State Archive of Perm Krai. The available sources make it possible to reconstruct the circumstances of Bulgarian specialists arrival, as well as their training course progress and content of the educational process. After the studies in Perm Region the Bulgarian specialists went back to their homeland providing personnel of the developing chemical industry. In particular, specialists trained in Berezniki were sent to Dimitrovgrad chemical integrated works, one of the leaders of Bulgarian industry in the 1950s. The research led us to conclusion that Perm Region made a significant contribution to the Bulgarian industrial development in the 1950s.

NEW INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS MODELS: FROM LINEAR TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY APPROACH

In the growth of the Industry 4.0 transformation the economy has become to changed. Thus, not just the economy regulations are fostered but a new business approach has been arisen: the circular / regenerative economy approach. The EC already reacted as it introduced not just updated Sustainable development indices but a new set of indices: circular economy indices. According to this change of the economic model, the business organizations are fostered to change their business models, especially for the industry. Thus, not just the new regulations have to be introduced to the industrial business model but the total change of the added value of the business as introduction of green technologies or innovations for non-waste production value chains. Aim of the paper: to identify and to analyze the requirements to the business that foster them to change their linear business model to circular one. Methods: descriptive analysis of the Bulgarian economy according to circular economy indices; comparative analyses for identification of main differences between linear and circular economies; induction and deduction of the elements of business models. Results: analysis of the indices of circularity of the Bulgarian economy; analysis of requirements for transition from linear to circular economy; identifying requirements to the business model of a circular economy; systematizing rules / guidelines for transforming the business model of a linear economy into the business model of a circular economy. Conclusions: The indicators of the circular economy can be considered as a part of the harmonization process in the EU. Avoiding from the responsibilities of the circular economy approach by Bulgarian industry leads to moving away from the EU economies. This requires relevant national policies, measures and instruments to promote the transformation of the business model to circular one. The paper aims to present the need of industrial business model change as to analyze the starting position of the Bulgarian industry. Thus, the structure of the paper is following: 1. Introduction to Circular economy indices. 2. Definition of Circular economy approach. 3. Analysis of the Circular economy indices change for Bulgaria. 4. Introduction to business model change from linear to circular one. Conclusions.

The place of machine parts production in the restructuring Bulgarian industry

The end of the 20th century was quite stormy and left its mark in all fields of human existence. Moreover, it faced the human race with new challenges and trials. One of them is the wholly change in the economic system of society. The Bulgarian economy was also not pass of such changes. They were accompanied by large and painful transformations and turbulence. One of the most affected areas was industrial production. Its restructuring, the emergence and overcoming of various asymmetry continues to this day. At the present time, when we talk about the “new Industrial Revolution”, the digitization of the processes in the economy, when the world switched to Industry 4.0 the problem with the construction of a modern and competitive industrial sector is even more topical. An important part of this sector is the “machine parts production” industry. Over the years it also underwent a number of dips and transformations, but managed to maintain its position and lead role in the Bulgarian industry.

Corporate Governance Transformation in Transition Economies: Evidence from Bulgaria

Abstract The paper presents study of corporate governance evolution in Bulgaria and its convergence to EU structures. The author discusses the traditional approach to separation of ownership and control in transition economies and modern ideas about the need for changing corporate governance paradigm. The study analyses main ownership and control structures in the Bulgarian industry and specific property-rights structures in corporatized state-owned firms, privatized firms and established de novo private enterprises. The research reveals the main constraints on corporate governance convergence to European structures in Bulgaria as the emerging enterprise sector duality and inefficient property-rights structures based on the state-owned firms transformation. The study analyses different paths for corporate governance and country development in the short run.

Bulgarian MSDF R&D National Program and Activities

The Bulgarian National MSDF R&D program was established more than twenty years ago. Bulgarian electronics and Bulgarian military industry were specialized in development and serial manufacturing of sea and river radars. Driven by increasing demands for better quality, faster production and minimum costs, MSDF R&D projects have been constantly developed by research institutes and laboratories of Bulgarian industry and Bulgarian Academy of Science. The Bulgarian military branch has been especially interested in keeping abreast of the latest advances in this important field to ensure the highest standards and quality for military electronic systems modernization and upgrade. A number of young men have been educated in leading Soviet and East European military academies, civil technical universities and research centers, obtaining fundamental qualification. Since the mid 80’s, the increased capabilities of computer performance provided a reliable base for direct implementation of scientific methods, previously considered as too expensive from computational point of view. Since then it was realized that the MSDF theory is an independent scientific branch requiring special attention and significant scientific efforts. Following this direction, a Multiple Sensors Data Fusion Department was founded in 1988 at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, as R&D Laboratory named SIGNAL. The most of research activities in Bulgaria in MSDF have been redirected from the industrial research centers toward this new unit. The major part of research activities in Bulgaria in this field were concentrated and accomplished in it. The Laboratory specialized in solving scientific and real-world problems involving signal, image and other type of data processing, with focus on the Bulgarian industry. It has become a leader in the design, development and evaluation of algorithms and application software for radar data processing and tracking systems. A number of R&D product implementations, mainly in the field of multiple target tracking algorithms (MTT) and related to it fields of simulation, guidance and control, have been accomplished:

Recruitment and the Role of Employment Services in Bulgarian Industry

ABSTRACT: This article is based on two surveys of Bulgarian manufacturing enterprises completed by the International Labour Organization in 1992 The surveys covering both state and private sector firms in this transition economy undergoing severe structural change collected a wealth of data on labour and employment practices at the micro level The authors examine recruitment and vacancy rates in the industrial sector managerial recruitment preferences on the basis of age gender and educational back ground and the recruitment methods used by managements in hiring workers The role of the national employment services in labour allocation is also analyzed revealing different recruitment strategies between state and private sector firms

Bulgarian industry tackles environment

Bulgarian industry tackles environment