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It’s generally export oriented - 75% exports. Main markets served are automotive, telecommunications and consumer electronics. The good level of expertise in multimedia solutions, microwave communication, fiscal memory electronic devices and electronic energy meters attracted over 180 million USD foreign investments. Most of the electronics producers have quality management systems applied – ISO 9000, ISO 16949. Up-to-date manufacturing technologies, high level of the production ranges and the competitive prices ensure the successful presence of the Bulgarian producers on both European and world markets. We present information about few of the major players in Bulgarian electronics industry. All the data used in this article is based on officially published releases and materials provided by the companies.

Bulgaria occupies the 62nd place in the world export chart as electronics and fuels form the major part of this country’s exports. According to official national statistics, Bulgarian export in 2011 reached 20 billion euro. Despite it is a small country Bulgaria is a world leading exporter in a few sectors. This country was the second biggest exporter of copper products, goose meat and canned cherries in 2011. Bulgaria exports also a lot of scrap metal as well as zinc plates. In the past year the rise of export of Bulgarian electronic products, machines, and scrap metal was considerable. Just from the export of sunflower seed Bulgaria received some 700 million dollars. Revenues from goose meat reached 49 million euro while the export of scrap silver and other metals reached 560 million dollars. Copper products and refined petroleum fuels also top the Bulgarian export chart, as well as the export of electricity.

• Sector volume production increased almost 3.5 times in 2009, compared to 2000
• 2010 revenues were over €1.5 bn, the highest level  since 1990
• Currently there are about 45 000 people employed in about 2 300 companies in the electrical engineering and electronics sector

The majority of the production (75%) is exported

The egg carton factory in Ruse was built under a project under the Competitiveness Operational Program and absorbed a total investment of BGN 705 000, of which the grant amounted to BGN 485 000. An egg carton factory is to start functioning in Bulgaria's Danube city of Ruse by January 2013. Branimir Kirilov, manager of the company, told the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) that the testing process was underway. He informed that the Ruse-based factory would be the sole of its kind in the country. Kirilov made clear that Bulgaria relied on egg carton imports mainly from Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Poland. He informed that the factory in Ruse would manufacture up to 30 000 egg cartons per day. The director of the factory said that it would run on wastepaper generated by the other main production line of the company of cardboard cores and cones. Kirilov told journalists that the egg carton factory would open 12 jobs, adding that he planned to expand the product range with egg boxes and trays.

Some of the best programmers in Google and Facebook are actually Bulgarians and this is so because this country has long traditions in the sector. Bulgaria used to be called the “socialist silicone valley” in the past and now the IT business in the country is booming. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 and is a country with one of the fastest growing IT sectors in Europe, while the big number of qualified programmers and low taxes have attracted a number of international software companies, The New York Times once wrote. But why is the IT sector so well developed in a country like Bulgaria. Here is what the chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies Georgi Brashnarov told us.