Full Name
Ekaterina Zaharieva
Job Title
European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation
Company
European Commission
Speaker Bio
2024-Present European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation
2017-2024 Member of the Bulgarian Parliament
2017-2021 Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs
2015-2017 Bulgarian Minister of Justice
2013 & 2014 Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works
2012-2015 Head of Cabinet and Secretary-General of the President of the Republic
2009-2011 Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works
2003-2009 Director of the Legal, Regulatory and Administrative Services Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Water
2001-2003 Lawyer
As Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva’s task is to drive the EU’s ambition to put research and innovation, science and technology at the centre of our economy. She will foster investment and cooperation, creating the right conditions for researchers to thrive and develop new skills, and the innovation needed for the EU’s competitiveness, security and sustainability goals.
She is responsible for:
• Expanding the European Innovation Council and the European Research Council
• Proposing a European Research Area Act to guarantee the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge and technology
• Developing a long-term strategy to boost European Research Infrastructure and a European Innovation Act to streamline our regulatory framework and facilitate access to venture capital
• Developing ways to support EU start- and scale-ups and creating a network of Trusted Investors to bring together deep tech investors across Europe
• Preparing a new Strategy for European Life Sciences to unlock high-value technologies
• Working on an Advanced Materials Act to support the research and innovation process through to manufacturing and deployment
• Increasing the uptake of artificial intelligence by European scientists and helping to set up a European AI Research Council
• Implementing and overseeing the funding from EU research and innovation programmes, such as Horizon Europe, as well as the EU Missions
2017-2024 Member of the Bulgarian Parliament
2017-2021 Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs
2015-2017 Bulgarian Minister of Justice
2013 & 2014 Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works
2012-2015 Head of Cabinet and Secretary-General of the President of the Republic
2009-2011 Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works
2003-2009 Director of the Legal, Regulatory and Administrative Services Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Water
2001-2003 Lawyer
As Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva’s task is to drive the EU’s ambition to put research and innovation, science and technology at the centre of our economy. She will foster investment and cooperation, creating the right conditions for researchers to thrive and develop new skills, and the innovation needed for the EU’s competitiveness, security and sustainability goals.
She is responsible for:
• Expanding the European Innovation Council and the European Research Council
• Proposing a European Research Area Act to guarantee the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge and technology
• Developing a long-term strategy to boost European Research Infrastructure and a European Innovation Act to streamline our regulatory framework and facilitate access to venture capital
• Developing ways to support EU start- and scale-ups and creating a network of Trusted Investors to bring together deep tech investors across Europe
• Preparing a new Strategy for European Life Sciences to unlock high-value technologies
• Working on an Advanced Materials Act to support the research and innovation process through to manufacturing and deployment
• Increasing the uptake of artificial intelligence by European scientists and helping to set up a European AI Research Council
• Implementing and overseeing the funding from EU research and innovation programmes, such as Horizon Europe, as well as the EU Missions
Speaking At
