The main message AIBEST representatives sent was that the business in the region must unite if it would want economic prosperity. They debated about the economic reset in the post period of Covid 19 and the moves that we as a business community and IT sector should do in our countries. They also shared the main lesson of the pandemic: In times of crisis, we must invest bravely and take greater risks. It is imperative to motivate IT companies to prevent further the brain drain from South Eastern European countries.
„Europe needs educated IT professionals from the Balkans, but the region must retain the staff it invests in order for them to stay in their home countries and contribute to their economies. Also, the region will need skilled IT workers, in order to cope with the necessary digitalization of the local companies, who are struggling in this global survival run-race. We recommend the authorities prioritize the sector and consider tax cuts, specifically the personal income tax. The move will stimulate IT companies to increase the number of employees, retain staff and also attract highly-skilled immigrants from abroad. This move will also contribute to the improvement of the demographics issue we have in the whole region.“, commented Plamen Tsekov.
„Going back to the big picture - the dream of the whole region is to be an international champion in the software and technology industry. And we can do that with proper positioning in the past-pandemic conditions. We will hear new ideas in April at the South Eastern Europe conference in Bulgaria. AIBEST intends to initiate a strong regional alliance of the IT sector, business services, and the knowledge industry in general.“, added Nora Ishkova.
