11.11.2025
On November 5, 2025, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” hosted the first international conference “Standards for a Sustainable Future”. The event was organized by the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration in partnership with the Sustainability Specialists Association (SSA), Club 9000, the Association of Environmental Management Professionals (AEMP), and under the auspices of the Bulgarian Institute for Standardization. The forum brought together representatives from business, academia, certification bodies, and international ISO experts to discuss the role of standards in achieving sustainable economic and social development.
The conference was opened by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Stefanova, Director of the Master’s Program in Responsible and Sustainable Government, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Yalamov, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, who welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of collaboration between science and business for achieving sustainability.
“Standards are not just compliance procedures; they are a tool for trust and quality that connects scientific results with real-world solutions in the economy”, stated Assoc. Prof. Stefanova during the opening.
A key highlight of the conference was the speech by Eng. Ivelin Burov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Institute for Standardization. “Compliance with standards is not just a requirement; it is a tool for efficiency and sustainable financial results. International standards such as ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 form a sustainability package that delivers real economic benefits to businesses”, he noted.
Burov presented the concept of Bulgarian Institute for Standardization’s remote information centers, which provide free access to international and European standards and encourage collaboration between universities and businesses. He added that interaction with academia is a two-way process — universities generate knowledge, while the Bulgarian Institute for Standardization creates the framework for its application in the real economy.
In the first panel, Dr. Boyko Takov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), emphasized that adherence to international standards is a key factor for the competitiveness of Bulgarian enterprises, especially small and medium-sized companies. “Our economy is export-oriented, and entering foreign markets is impossible without the necessary certifications”, he stated. Dr. Takov stressed the need to change the mindset — to view standards not as an administrative burden but as a tool for growth, innovation, and trust.
International expert Jaymi Stephens from ISO Central Secretariat presented ISO’s policies and strategic goals up to 2030, aligned with the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Stephens highlighted that ISO currently unites 174 national members and over 25,700 international standards, with approximately 100 new standards developed each month. The presentation demonstrated that standards are a reliable and accessible tool for achieving sustainable results, helping both policymakers and businesses measure and report climate actions. Real-life company examples showed how the application of ISO sustainability standards leads to efficiency, access to new markets, and reduction of environmental footprints.
In the business panels, Devin AD and Festo AD shared their best practices.
Petya Manastirska, Sustainability Manager at Devin, emphasized that standards are crucial for any business because they follow global policies and ensure long-term sustainability. Bisera Ivanova from Festo added that it is time for every company to take small but concrete steps toward sustainable development. Valentina Dobreva from Insert Ltd. noted that certification can sometimes be challenging for SMEs but described it as a management textbook with its own rules leading to sustainable growth.
Prof. Dr. Elka Vasileva, Chair of Club 9000, described standards as soft regulators and a public good for environmental protection. She called for closer collaboration between organizations developing and implementing standards to avoid overlap and facilitate innovation. Experts also discussed harmonization between ISO and the GHG Protocol Committee, aimed at supporting businesses in measuring and reporting carbon emissions — a key aspect of ESG policy implementation.
The afternoon session included a discussion workshop, during which participants were divided into six focus groups to exchange opinions, experiences, and recommendations on key issues related to sustainable development and standardization. The collected information will be analyzed and summarized in the “National Roadmap for Implementing International Sustainability Standards 2025–2030”, jointly prepared by SSA, AEMP, and Club 9000, to be published in 2026.
The program also included practical workshops, including life cycle analysis (LCA) in construction, presented by Arch. Galina Vasileva from Dedal-OS. These sessions allowed participants to share concrete approaches and examples of implementing sustainable solutions across different sectors.
The forum concluded with a common message that a sustainable future is possible only through shared efforts, dialogue, and professionalism. The “Standards for a Sustainable Future” conference marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between the three professional organizations and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, aiming to build and maintain a platform that unites knowledge, business, and policy. The organizers announced that the forum will become an annual initiative promoting the adoption of international standards in Bulgaria and the region.
