Stara Zagora’s effective development strategy
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, Stara Zagora’s history is long, and storied. There were settlements here as far back as 8,000 BC, while around 7,000 BC iron ore was being mined in the region, and copper produced. Manufacturing and industry are not, for Stara Zagora, modern additions.
Today, the city is the fifth largest in Bulgaria, boasts a workforce of more than 165,000 people, and an unemployment rate of just 4.3 per cent. GDP is amongst the highest of any city in…
