Cleantech Vision 2026 – Knowledge Transfer Between Academia and Industry

This year, on the 18 June at the Cleantech 2026 Conference, we will bring together leading voices from both the business sector and the international academic community to demonstrate how these two worlds can become not only beneficial to one another, but fundamentally interconnected.

Through this year’s central theme — *Knowledge Transfer* — we aim to open an important conversation about the growing need for modern, sustainable environmental solutions that also actively support business development and industrial progress.

Our partners from international industry will share the real challenges and needs for sustainable solutions within their sectors, while our guests from academia will demonstrate the essential role of science, research, and innovation in shaping the future of environmental and technological advancement.

Cleantech 2026 is designed as a platform where ideas meet practical implementation, where research connects with industry needs, and where collaborations with real impact can begin.

We are pleased to present the full program for the conference day and warmly invite you to register and reserve your place among professionals, researchers, innovators, and decision-makers committed to building a more sustainable future together.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME — CLEANTECH VISION 2026

09:15 – 10:00    Check-in & Coffee

10:00 – 10:15     Conference Opening
                                 Prof. Dr. B. Ivanova
                                 Rector of Agricultural University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria

10:15 – 10:30      H.E. Pierre Hagmann
                                 Ambassador of Switzerland to Bulgaria
                                 Embassy of Switzerland in Bulgaria, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Sofia

10:30 – 10:50     Ing. Plamen Panchev
                                 Executive Director, Trakia Economic Zone, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

10:50 – 11:10      Dr. Karina Angelieva
                                 Executive Director, International Science and Technology Center (ISTC)

11:10 – 11:30      Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:00     Anton Todorov
                                Chairman of the Executive Board, National Innovation Fund (NIF), Bulgaria

12:00 – 13:00    Technical Presentations — Session I

                                Dr. Hans Musch — CEO, Renergia AG, Lucerne, Switzerland
                                Prof. Dr. Salomon Billeter — Professor of Engineering & CEO, FHNW School of Engineering, Windisch, Switzerland / Sim2Sustain AG, Switzerland
                                Dr. Darina Zaimova — Co-founder & CEO, Exogen Hydrogen Solutions, Sofia, Bulgaria

13:00 – 14:15    Lunch & Poster Walk

14:15 – 14:30    Introduction to the Technology Start-Up Pitches
                               Rangel Matanski — Executive Director, Local Action Group (LAG) Hisarya, Bulgaria

14:30 – 15:30   Technology Start-Up Pitches

15:30 – 16:15    Coffee Break

16:15 – 17:00    Technical Presentations — Session II

                                Prof. Dr. Sava Tabakov — Professor, Agricultural University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
                                Dr. Fulvio di Lorenzo — Senior Researcher, FHNW School of Engineering, Institut IBRE, Windisch, Switzerland

17:00 – 17:45    Conference Award Ceremony & Outlook
                                Joint ceremony with the Business Academy for Starting Entrepreneurs (BASE)

17:45 – 19:00    Apéro Riche & Networking

We look forward to welcoming you to Plovdiv for a day of innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking discussions.