Varna Welcomes Global Technology Leaders at CONNEXUS 2026

 On 5–7 October 2026, Varna will host CONNEXUS – Black Sea Technology Forum, a three-day international event bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, academics and globally recognised experts from more than 10 countries.

Organised by ICT Cluster Varna in partnership with Varna Municipality, the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, the Bulgarian AI Factory BRAIN++ and the Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund), the forum will be held under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Ms Iliana Iotova.

For three days, Hotel Cherno More will become a meeting point for technology, ideas, business opportunities and international cooperation. CONNEXUS 2026 is expected to welcome more than 500 participants and over 35 exhibitors from Bulgaria and abroad, with two parallel programme tracks, a large technology expo, plenary sessions, thematic panels, B2B meetings, live demonstrations, startup presentations and networking opportunities.

The programme will explore some of the technologies and industries shaping the region’s future, including artificial intelligence, the future of transport, cybersecurity, automation and robotics, smart cities, maritime technologies, regional innovation policies, tourism, agri-tech and biotechnology. A special focus will be placed on the connection between technology, infrastructure and economic development in the Black Sea region.

International speakers include Lars Frølund, MIT lecturer and Strategic Advisor to the NATO Innovation Fund; Paul Lambert, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Bulgaria; Michel Roux, Ambassador for the Eastern Partnership and the Black Sea at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs; and Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the European Innovation Council Fund, alongside established entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and technology experts from Bulgaria, Europe and the wider Black Sea region.

CONNEXUS 2026 places Varna at the centre of the conversation about the technological future of the Black Sea – a region with the potential not only to follow global technological developments, but to actively shape them.

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The forum is an invitation to everyone looking to discover new technologies, ideas, partners and business opportunities and to become part of a more connected and visible Black Sea technology ecosystem.

5–7 October 2026 | Hotel Cherno More, Varna, Bulgaria

More information about the programme, registration and expo opportunities is available at www.blackseatech.org.