EUt+ Plovdiv Week: A Common European Degree, Innovation and a New Partnership

The Technical University of Sofia, Plovdiv Branch, hosted a European working week that brought together more than 130 representatives of universities and research organisations from 11 countries. Discussions centred on a new partnership between two European university alliances, a common European degree for engineers, and stronger links between research and industry.

From 19 to 23 October 2026, Plovdiv hosted EUt+ Plovdiv Week, the working week of the European University of Technology (EUt+), with representatives of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) also taking part.

One of the main events of the week was the official launch of VALORWIDE, a four-year European project funded under the Horizon Europe programme. Its presentation in Plovdiv marked the beginning of a new phase in cooperation between EUt+ and ECIU. The Technical University of Sofia coordinates the project, with Reutlingen University, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum / Steinbeis 2i GmbH and Fondazione Hub Innovazione Trentino among its partners.

VALORWIDE builds on the partnership between the two alliances by fostering closer cooperation between universities, research organisations and industry. Its aim is to help turn research findings more effectively into innovations, technologies, products and start-ups. The project includes joint initiatives with industry, training in innovation management and the development of networks to support research-based innovation. In doing so, it contributes to the objectives of the European Research Area (ERA), which seeks to create a more connected and competitive European research ecosystem.

Alongside this new partnership, a common European degree for engineers was another important theme of Plovdiv Week. It remains one of the long-term goals of EUt+ and its partner universities. The alliance’s Secretary-General, Professor Timothée TOURY, emphasised the importance of sustained efforts towards this goal and of bringing engineering education across Europe into closer alignment.

“Not nine separate stories, but one shared ambition. Shared knowledge. Shared progress.” With these words, Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, highlighted the importance of bringing universities’ expertise together, expanding opportunities for students and researchers, and strengthening the links between education, research and innovation. In her online address to the participants, Zaharieva captured the spirit of European university cooperation and stressed the need for Europe to create favourable conditions for research talent to flourish and make it easier for new ideas to reach the market.

The official opening of EUt+ Plovdiv Week took place on 20 October at the Episcopal Basilica of Philippopolis. The choice of venue brought Plovdiv’s cultural heritage into dialogue with the future being shaped by science and technology. The ceremony began with a film tracing the history and development of the Plovdiv Branch of the Technical University of Sofia, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026. Welcoming remarks were delivered by the University’s Rector, Professor Georgi Venkov, and Plamen Panov, Deputy Mayor of Plovdiv for Culture, Archaeology and Tourism.

The Basilica became a symbolic bridge between past and future, reminding us that the knowledge accumulated over centuries provides the foundation on which today’s engineers develop technologies and solutions, and that they hold the keys to the next stage of humanity’s development.

“It is important to us that two European university alliances have come together in Plovdiv to work towards a common European degree for engineers. Our efforts focus on three main priorities: educating students, advancing research and putting research findings into practice,” said Professor Lidia Galabova, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Cooperation and Integration at the Technical University of Sofia.

EUt+ Plovdiv Week demonstrated the importance of cooperation between European universities in advancing engineering education, research and technological innovation. Through shared educational objectives and initiatives such as VALORWIDE, universities create the conditions for scientific achievements to be transformed into real-world solutions, and for engineers to be not merely participants in technological change, but its creators.