October 10 (SeeNews) - Germany's Lindner Group will invest another 20 million levs ($10.8 million/10.2 million euro) in the construction of two more buildings within its planned science and technology park on the outskirts of Sofia, Georgi Ranchev, CEO of Bulgarian subsidiary Lindner Immobilien Management, told SeeNews on Tuesday.
The construction of these office buildings, which represents the second phase of the Lozen Tech Park, is expected to start by the end of 2024, Ranchev told SeeNews on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an education campus at Lozen.
For the two new buildings in the tech park, Lindner has reached an initial agreement with a company operating in the burgeoning cybersecurity sector, Ranchev said. However, he declined to disclose any information regarding the company's name, country of origin, or the specifics of the agreement.
In June, Lindner broke ground on the first phase of construction of the tech park, also for an initial investment of around 20 million levs. The first two buildings are expected to be open for business towards the end of 2025 and will be used by Lindner itself, according to Ranchev.
"Our company plans to double to 50 the headcount of its local research and development (R&D) engineering team, as it aims to spearhead economic and technology activities in proximity to the residential development next door," Ranchev said. The local engineers work on innovative projects mainly located in Germany, he went on to say. Lindner has also partnered with the University of National and World Economy and the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia, and will aim to bring high-tech start-ups to the tech park, creating a business incubator atmosphere, he added.
Lindner's project at Lozen Park is to develop a cutting-edge suburban hub designed to cater to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, providing a top-notch infrastructure and taking into account the post-Covid reality of predominantly hybrid office work. This development, in conjunction with its technology park and educational campus, aims to establish a distinctive synergy where residents can seamlessly integrate their home, work, and social lives within a single location.
(1 euro =1.95583 levs)