Alumni see their student project in Bulgaria come to fruition
In Spring 2012, four Berkeley Haas students met with the President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevnelien, to create a plan for the country’s first science and technology park.
Fast forward to December 2015 and the students, now alumni—Benny Du, Hassam Hussain, SeungHo Song, and Dan Tavares, all MBA 13—got great news: the Sofia Tech Park has opened for business. The state-owned park is partnering with private and public institutions to encourage innovation, build educational programs, and provide support to startups.
The project was part of an International Business Development course for which the team was asked to define the scope of the park as well as potential challenges.
After meetings with stakeholders, the team recommended services to lower up-front capital costs, such as legal support, prototyping labs, and access to key licenses. The team also suggested focusing on the information and communications technology sector.