Eastern Europe is arming itself rapidly, not just in quantity, but in quality. But will the region’s defence shopping spree lead to innovation? For over two decades, Eastern European countries have experienced growth, fueled by access to EU funds, markets, and frameworks. Now, in … | Continue reading
Bordering Ukraine and subject to Russian interference, Slovakia will prioritise its security relations with Washington regardless of who is elected on November 5—but a Harris administration could pay more attention to its domestic politics. Interest in the US presidential electio … | Continue reading
Growing street protests, heightened interest from Western partners, and the president’s implicit support, could push Georgia toward a challenging yet transformative new chapter. The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party claimed over half the vote and declared victory in Georgia’s hist … | Continue reading
Hungary’s government clearly wants the former US president to return to the White House and has been cultivating him and his wing of the Republican party. A Harris victory would be a significant setback for Orbán. Hungary’s relationship with the United States has reached a histor … | Continue reading
With its expansion into Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, and Warsaw, the largest start-up simulation programme for youth, Econverse is now an international platform, offering unprecedented opportunities for youth innovation and collaboration. Backed by the Visegrad Fund, Aspen Insti … | Continue reading
As part of our new series drawing on the original analysis and data collected by Emerging Europe as part of our Future of IT report, we look at an underperforming but quickly improving IT sector, Albania. Despite being a smaller player in the region, Albania is making steady prog … | Continue reading
A strong believer in allying with the United States and in multilateralism, Czechia will be keen to work with whoever is in the White House. The US presidential election is the top geopolitical event of the year for Czechia. When it comes to the foreign and security policy agenda … | Continue reading
With its abundance of tech talent, favourable regulatory environments, and growing demand for digital financial solutions, the region is well-positioned to become a global leader in financial technology. Emerging Europe is fast becoming one of the world’s most dynamic fintech hub … | Continue reading
Ukraine’s Cyrillic alphabet is not the same as Russia’s. Nor is there anything specifically Russian about Cyrillic. But perceptions matter. Earlier this week I was crossing the border from Greece into Turkey, and I found myself reflecting on Turkey’s decision to abandon the Arabi … | Continue reading
Intensifying the partnership between Sofia and Washington is the only way to prevent democratic backsliding and greater Russian influence in Bulgaria. The consequences of a Harris or a Trump administration would be very different. Bulgaria’s ties with the United States have reach … | Continue reading
Positioning itself as a premier hub for innovation in the renewable energy sector, Stara Zagora is leveraging natural advantages with forward-thinking strategies to capitalise on one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. Stara Zagora’s renewable energy potential is substanti … | Continue reading
In Europe, healthcare systems are failing despite being sustained by taxpayer money. The more unhealthy people are, the more they burden the struggling healthcare system and the more money needs to be removed from citizens’ pockets in the form of taxes. The side effects of public … | Continue reading
Within a few days, Georgian and US citizens will cast their ballots in elections that will have momentous consequences for their respective countries—and for the strained relationship between Tbilisi and Washington. The presidential election in the United States will come shortly … | Continue reading
The BRICS summit in Kazan is missing one important potential member: Kazakhstan. For Vladimir Putin, it’s a geopolitical setback that Russia’s historical satellite state remains absent as a member, especially in a city whose name echoes that of its Kazakh neighbour. To the great … | Continue reading
Armenia’s ability to diversify its sources of foreign investment will be key to its long-term wellbeing, alongside the modernisation of key sectors such as agriculture and energy. Reducing its dependence on Russia will also be critical for its future development. Despite being la … | Continue reading
The isolationism of many political parties—in power in Moldova, or in opposition in Georgia—is a larger vulnerability than the malign interference of Russia. As October comes to an end, both the people of Moldova and Georgia are facing up to their choice for a pro-European future … | Continue reading
In the first of a new series drawing on the original analysis and data collected by Emerging Europe as part of our Future of IT report, we look at the region’s most competitive IT sector: digital pioneer Estonia. Known for its digital innovation and advanced infrastructure, Eston … | Continue reading
Upcoming elections on October 26 present a crucial opportunity for Georgian voters to shape their political future. Georgia is facing an unprecedented challenge which could alter the country’s EU trajectory. The country’s European future is under threat from the current governmen … | Continue reading
Healthcare start-ups, SMEs, hospitals, universities, and research institutions in 18 countries in the Central, Eastern and Southern European region now have the chance to fast-track their innovations to market through the brand-new SPICE programme, offering up to 160,000 euros in … | Continue reading
Boomerang, a globally operating company throughout the world including emerging European countries, has been shortlisted for the SiGMA Europe 2024 Awards in two highly competitive categories: Best Influencer Collaboration and Best Player Engagement. These nominations recognise ac … | Continue reading
In one of the largest seed rounds in CEE in recent months, Oxla, developer of a high-performance analytical database, has secured 11 million US dollars to scale-up its global operations. Built for data-intensive workloads across IoT, industrial applications, e-commerce, and cyber … | Continue reading
Pension funds, insurers and infrastructure are a perfect match. The potential for institutional investors to play a transformative role in CEE infrastructure development is clear. Poland, like much of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), stands at a crossroads in its infrastructure … | Continue reading
While organisations acknowledge the potential of AI, there’s a significant gap between organisational adoption and personal use by employees. The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries globally, and emerging Europe is no exception. As a consulta … | Continue reading
Kosovo’s young people are more than ready to take on the challenges of the future. Last week I joined the KosICT Festival in Prishtina, organised by STIKK, the Kosovan ICT association. I talked about the talent in Europe’s youngest country—in the 2024 edition of the Future of IT … | Continue reading
LGBTQIA+ victims in Georgia rarely see justice. Silence has a cost, and right now, it is being paid by the most vulnerable. If the system that is meant to protect citizens actually revictimises, threatens, and often demonises them, then why would one ask for help from them? This … | Continue reading
GR8 Tech, an award-winning high-performance sportsbook and iGaming platform provider, will exhibit at SiGMA Europe on November 11-14, delivering a more exciting experience than ever before. Attendees can visit GR8 Tech at booth 2163, featuring an immersive, enhanced setup with a … | Continue reading
The mismatch between education and the needs of the labour market is resulting in a significant waste of human potential and is partly behind the brain drain affecting many of the region’s countries. The greatest scope for boosting long-term growth across emerging Europe and Cent … | Continue reading
Firms should prepare for the ‘widespread adoption’ of delivery drones, with vast implications for businesses and consumers alike. The global retail and logistics sectors are on the verge of a major shift, driven by the rapid adoption of drone deliveries, according to a new PwC re … | Continue reading
The EU doesn’t need more red tape and fancy titles. Instead, specialised roles with a clear, focused purpose are essential in the context of the EU’s role in European defence. Along with the traditional commissioner roles, President Ursula von der Leyen’s second European Commissi … | Continue reading
Moldova this week votes in a key referendum on future EU membership that will decide the country’s future. But what advantages would an EU perspective bring the country? Moldova, nestled between the European Union and Ukraine, faces a series of challenges. From the economy to slo … | Continue reading
Both this year and next the EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe are still set to significantly outperform the euro area. Despite the uncertain international environment, the economies of most countries in Central, East and Southeast Europe are showing robust growth. Ho … | Continue reading
Natural resources, and its sheer size, have made Kazakhstan Central Asia’s largest economy. If it is to compete globally, it needs to nurture a smarter, more sustainable economy. It’s the largest landlocked country in the world and has long been dependent on its vast natural reso … | Continue reading
The Open Mainframe Project, an open-source initiative that enables collaboration across the mainframe community to develop shared tool sets and resources, has announced the launch of Zowe’s Long Term Support (LTS) V3 Release. The Release includes the Zowe Explorer plugin for Int … | Continue reading
Through strategic investments, robust infrastructure, and forward-thinking governance, Stara Zagora is fast becoming the epicentre of Bulgaria’s automotive sector, drawing both domestic and international companies to its industrial zones. Stara Zagora’s emergence as a leader in t … | Continue reading
Vulnerable to both severe flooding and drought, North Macedonia needs to invest 6.4 billion US dollars over the next decade to effectively protect people and property against the impacts of climate change. North Macedonia could face economic damages of up to four per cent of its … | Continue reading
Moldova aims to fully integrate as much green energy as possible in the coming years, targeting the diversification of its energy sources by attracting foreign investors seeking business opportunities in the country. Moldova has proposed an ambitious strategy to increase energy p … | Continue reading
There can be no lasting peace in a country without a functional and civil political and social environment. War or peace? This has become the main, and most importantly, cheapest, most speculative and choicest of slogans of the current Georgian parliamentary election campaign. Ye … | Continue reading
The beauty of reinvention lies in its continuity—there’s always another step, another opportunity to adapt, to grow, to become something new. Emerging Europe is no stranger to transformation, something I have had the chance to see first-hand over the last few months during my roa … | Continue reading
In 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the Municipality of Stara Zagora established a new Department for Investment Promotion with a clear goal—to seize the opportunities presented by the rapid development of the city and offer attractive prospects for investment, despite the unc … | Continue reading
Stara Zagora in Bulgaria has become a hub of innovation in several key sectors, from automotive to renewable energy. Emerging Europe speaks with the city’s mayor, Zhivko Todorov, about its progress, and its plans for the future. Close to the geographical centre of modern Bulgaria … | Continue reading
As Uzbekistan pivots towards western markets, the UK is taking its first small, but key steps towards positioning itself as a leading trade partner. The headline numbers may not be huge, but the deal is significant. This week, in a move aimed at bolstering economic ties between t … | Continue reading
Proximity to the EU, a skilled workforce and low labour costs are increasingly drawing investors to the region, while environmentally sustainable production and CO2 reduction present significant opportunities for future growth. The Covid-19 pandemic and its associated supply chai … | Continue reading
At SBC Summit Lisbon 2024, the GR8 Tech booth buzzed with constant activity, as hundreds of industry professionals stopped by to explore the firm’s cutting-edge iGaming solutions. From live demos to in-depth discussions of specific cases, visitors saw firsthand how GR8 Tech’s tec … | Continue reading
Bulgarians, Georgians, and Moldovans vote later this month in elections that come at a decisive moment for all three countries. Three key votes this month across Central and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus have the potential to reshape politics in at least two of the countr … | Continue reading
By cleverly focusing on sectors with a high level of global exposure, such as fintech and film production, the Lithuanian capital Vilnius remains firmly in the sights of international location experts. An international panel of FDI experts, site selection advisors and location an … | Continue reading
In semi-democratic/hybrid systems such as Georgia, where emotions, national pride, and cultural symbols are identity markers for society, enrolling sports stars to support the ruling party can be effective. For the Georgian Dream party, which has run Georgia since 2012, the run u … | Continue reading
Boomerang Partners was honoured with the prestigious SBC Award 2024 for Rising Star in Sports Betting. This was an earned recognition by the industry global community, including emerging European countries, of Boomerang’s achievements this year. The Rising Star in Sports Betting … | Continue reading
Lithuania’s inclination to make use of what others might discard looks to have bred another winning start-up. What is about Lithuania and second-hand goods? Already the home of Vinted—Europe’s largest online marketplace for second-hand clothes—the Baltic country is also nurturing … | Continue reading