By a Decision of the National Assembly of May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation (MIDT) was established - a new institution, uniting the Ministry of Innovation and Growth and the Ministry of e-Government. MIDT unites innovation policy, business support, the digital transformation of the state, electronic identity and cybersecurity in one strategic framework, overcoming the previous division between policies for the private and public sectors. The Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation was elected Ivan Vassilev.
The new institution builds on their accumulated experience and unites innovation policy, business support tools, and the digital transformation of the state in one vertical.
MIDT is not an institution born from scratch. It continues and develops the established state policies for the innovative, technological and digital development of Bulgaria : supporting innovative companies and entrepreneurs, promoting technology transfer, building national capacity in strategic high-tech sectors, developing a modern and user-oriented e-state, protecting digital infrastructure and building a secure e-identity. These policies are united in a single strategic framework that meets the challenges of the economy of the future.
The new structure solves the problem related to the separation of policies and activities for innovation and digital transformation in the private sector, on the one hand, from policies for digital transformation of the public sector and cybersecurity, on the other.
The Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation will guarantee a unified policy for accelerated and fair digital transformation of the state and the economy, without abandoning vulnerable social groups or creating digital inequality, creating the environment and conditions in which digital transformation and innovation in all spheres occur at the pace of business, and upholding the Bulgarian national position within European, Euro-Atlantic and international forums.
Mission
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is being built as a ministry of the future – a compact, flexible and digitally mature institution that works at the speed of business and technological progress, not at the pace of traditional administrative structures. Its mission is to turn Bulgaria into an active participant, not a catching-up observer, in the economy of innovation, revolutionary technologies, knowledge and artificial intelligence.
The Ministry is moving from a model of a procedure administrator to a model of a national accelerator of innovation and digital transformation , which speaks the language of the entrepreneur and creates an environment in which innovative ideas are transformed into products, services and jobs.
In a world where global supply chains, artificial intelligence, and geopolitical changes are reshaping the economic map at unprecedented speed, Bulgaria is making a choice: to position itself as a country where innovation and digital transformation happen quickly, easily, and with the support of the state through an appropriate institutional, regulatory, and digital foundation.
The Ministry works for higher and sustainable economic growth , which does not rely on cheap labor, but on products and services with high added value, successful exports and integration into regional and global chains. It creates conditions for citizens and businesses to interact with the state quickly, transparently and without unnecessary administrative burden, through a single entry point , with clear deadlines and predictable results.
MIDT fulfills this mission through four interrelated areas :
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Innovation policy and entrepreneurship
Creating conditions for the development of innovative companies and entrepreneurs in Bulgaria; supporting startups and high-tech industries; technology transfer from scientific organizations to the market; targeted funding in strategic sectors such as microelectronics, artificial intelligence, space technologies, defense and dual-use technologies.
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Digital transformation of the public sector
Comprehensive change, optimization and increase in the efficiency of the state administration through the introduction and widespread use of new and innovative digital technologies, processes and ways of working, placing citizens and businesses at the center of the state. Real user orientation will be carried out with the implementation of the necessary measures to prevent digital inequality while guaranteeing rights.
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Electronic identity
Building a secure and convenient digital identity for Bulgarian citizens and companies, which opens access to services in a digital environment from anywhere and facilitates their participation in the single European digital market.
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Cybersecurity
Ensuring network and information security , protecting critical infrastructure, government registries and citizen and business data; building cyber-resilient institutions and the national incident response capacity.
Vision
The vision of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology is the development of an innovative and technologically advanced Bulgaria, in which talent, ideas and capital find their place, and the country occupies a strong position in European and global value chains. The Ministry is one of the components of a comprehensive innovation ecosystem - it provides the regulatory framework, financing instruments, digital infrastructure and strategic coordination, without replacing the entrepreneurial initiative of business and society.
This vision is based on the understanding that economic growth is not built by the state alone . Growth, innovation and technological development are a function of the entire innovation ecosystem, in which the ministry stands alongside innovative companies, startups, entrepreneurs, industry and innovation associations, investment and venture funds.
In this architecture, the MIDT has a clearly defined role:
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Provides the regulatory framework : stable, predictable and compliant with European standards rules for innovation, digital transformation and cybersecurity.
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Provides financing instruments : the National Innovation Fund, the European Competitiveness Funds, the financial instruments of the Fund of Funds, the new risk instruments for strategic industries, etc.
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Builds and maintains the state's digital infrastructure : registers, identification, inter-register exchange, a single point of interaction between business and the state, horizontal and central systems, shared resources, cybersecurity infrastructure, etc.
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Coordinates Bulgaria's strategic position in European institutions and in global technological processes, so that national interests are protected and opportunities are opened for Bulgarian companies.
Innovators and companies bring market dynamics, innovation potential and entrepreneurial energy. The Ministry creates the environment in which these participants achieve results - but does not duplicate market functions or replace entrepreneurial initiative.
Innovative Bulgaria is being built together by the state, business and society.