Elitsa Panayotova

Elitsa Panayotova is the Coordinator of “SOfiaGREEN” project. In 2016 she was invited by the Mayor of Sofia, Mrs. Yordanka Fandukova to streamline municipal policies related to sustainable development. The main focus areas of her team are smart and sustainable mobility, air quality and waste management. The aim is to put forward a successful bid for Sofia in the European Green Capital Award contest, organised by the European Commission. The work of “SOfia GREEN” is tightly linked to finding smart solutions to existing problems of the city and the administration by working closely with the private sector, NGOs and academia.
Before joining the Mayor’s team, Elitsa Panayotova was the first CEO and founder of Sofia Tech Park. She was responsible for forming the team, creating the concept and laying the foundations of the first Science and Technology Park in Bulgaria. On the former military plot nowadays you can find an incubator for start-up companies; joint research infrastructure – а center with 12 laboratories in different scientific fields; kids interactive museum and an event center – all aimed at bringing together the young entrepreneurs, scientists and the businesses to form successful partnerships and foster innovation. Elitsa’s career began as an architect and urban planner, whose portfolio includes one of the most innovative real estate projects in Bulgaria. She has also done investment management and consulting for various city and urban development projects.