Sofia - a National Center of the Creative Industry

Around one in ten organizations or enterprises in Sofia is part of the creative economy, and Sofia is a national center of the creative industry. This was confirmed by the research “Sofia – a city of creative economy” that was presented on December 5 in the American Corner at Sofia City Library. This is a joint project of the Observatory of Culture Economics and Sofia Municipality.

The aim of the study is to stimulate the effective and efficient management of the Culture Strategy of Sofia Municipality and of Sofia - Creative City of Cinema Strategy. Sofia has found a way to turn sectors that had been subsidized till the end of the 1980s into a factor for sustainable development and economic growth.

In the Bulgarian capital, the arts, the cultural and creative industries, the cultural heritage and cultural tourism not only contribute to the integrated development of the city, but they also show significant economic growth.

The main indicators of their economic significance - value added, employment, turnover, number of organizations, foreign direct investment, show growth and positive dynamics for the period 2008 – 2015 as well as a concentration of between 50% - 99% in Sofia. Around one in ten organizations or enterprises in the capital is part of the creative economy.

These results reveal a sector which is much more resilient to economic imbalances than most of the sectors in the Bulgarian economy - one that continues to give optimistic figures which are important for the overall urban development and economy of the capital and a reason to call Sofia a "city of creative economy".

With this study, Sofia has joined London, Berlin, Vienna - cities that have built their cultural policies and development strategies on the basis of the mapping of the arts, the cultural and creative industries, the cultural heritage and cultural tourism.