From Strategy to Action: The Think Tank Gabrovo Investment Forum

As a project partner and pilot site within the NONA – New Governance for New Spaces initiative, co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Danube Region Programme, the City of Gabrovo hosted the Think Tank Gabrovo Investment Forum, a core activity of the Danube Region Green Investment Hub. The forum took place on 17–18 February 2026 across multiple thematic venues throughout the city, immersing participants in Gabrovo's distinct industrial, cultural, and spatial landscape. The forum's format was designed to advance and field-test the NONA project's shared methodology for integrating green and sustainable investments into strategic spatial planning, building the institutional readiness and cross-sector partnerships necessary for long-term local implementation.

Building Momentum Across the City

The forum unfolded across a sequence of carefully chosen venues, each setting the stage for a distinct thematic focus. Together, the sessions traced a clear arch: from analysis and diagnosis, through benchmarking and ideation, to actionable planning.

At Scientia, the Context session opened the forum with data-driven presentations on regional economic and demographic trends, infrastructure conditions, and public investment flows establishing a rigorous analytical foundation. The energy shifted to STS for the Needs and Opportunities session, which examined barriers to industrial growth, hospitality's potential to position Gabrovo as a business-cultural destination, the role of heritage assets in investment narratives, and the infrastructure multiplier effect of sports tourism. At EMO Etăr, the Benchmarks session drew on international and local models, surfacing proven forum formats and priority investment sites to map a credible path forward. Back at the House of Culture, the Forum Design session saw participants develop concepts for Gabrovo's autumn investment event identifying urban activation zones, curating thematic tracks, and shaping communication strategies. The first day closed with a memorable session led by Chef Alexander Taralezhkov of Bar Dolma, whose conversation on culinary heritage, local value chains, and green investments in hospitality wove Gabrovo's gastronomic identity into a broader discussion of sustainable local economies.

Day two convened at the House of Culture following severe overnight snowfall that prevented travel to the originally planned venue in Bozhentsi for a Working Breakfast to finalise the Operational Plan. The change of location did not affect the strategic depth of the session: participants distilled key insights, assigned sector leads, and established clear timelines, bringing the forum to a productive and decisive close.

Forum Participants

The forum brought together a high-calibre group of professionals from industry, investment and consultancy, academia, the cultural sector, and architecture and design alongside local administration officials, with hands-on international experience in hospitality, sustainable construction, industrial production, and investment structuring.

Boris Lefterov CEO & Founder, nōmante hospitality; Sofia Milanova Partner & Co-founder, nōmante hospitality | Amelie Group; Petya Angelova Co-Founder, New Norm Hospitality Cluster GM, Rosslyn Hotels; Ivaylo Lefterov Founder, Aspire Hospitality; Anelia Kasabova Co-owner & CEO, LIGNA Group; Genoveva Hristova-Murray Co-owner & CEO, LIGNA Group; Damian Pilkov Lawyer and Investment Consultant, Plan Bulgaria; Kremena Karaulanova Founder & CEO, Laren Hotel Cosmetics; Mario Petrov Head of CEE Calash; Martina Venkova Exhibition Designer & Museum Researcher; Margarita Dorovska Curator and Cultural Manager, Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center for Contemporary Art; Silvia Kyoseva Owner, Flamingo Hotel Sunny Beach | Founder, Half-Marathon Nessebar Arch; arch. Tsvetozar Sagov CEO & Founder, Adimari Studio; Vladimir Todorov Co-owner, STS Holding Group Ltd.

Looking Ahead

The Think Tank Gabrovo Investment Forum marked the beginning of a new model of civic and economic collaboration — one in which strategic spatial planning, economic development, and green transformation are understood as deeply interconnected processes rather than parallel agendas. The forum confirmed that Gabrovo holds not only a strong industrial base and rich cultural capital, but the institutional maturity and cross-sector appetite to lead its next phase of development in genuine partnership with business and the expert community.