The Governor of Siemens, Bulgaria, Stoyan NESHEV: We want to help for the modernisation of railways

 

Siemens has been present in Bulgaria for over 130 years. Today it is a leader in the Bulgarian market in the sphere of energy, electric and electronic equipment. Apart from its commercial activity, the company is also in the engineering, software development and production business. Among its customers are some of the large state institutions, industrial and energy enterprises, communication and transport companies. In 2005, Siemens concluded new contracts for EUR361 million and had sales for EUR148 million. The company has invested more than EUR10 million in the national economy and is considered one of the largest investors in technologies. It also has an engineering business and, with a team of 15 people, develops software, which is only for export, for automation in buildings. The software of all new EU buildings is elaborated in Bulgaria. Today over 360 young and highly-qualified experts work for Siemens, Bulgaria. On 14th and 15th September 2005, in Bulgaria (for the first time outside Germany) the so-called Siemens Contractor Day was held. Companies from the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe were invited for the event. Among them were selected the future subcontractors of Siemens for its production sites worldwide. Out of the 75 companies present, 25 were Bulgarian and with the selected ones the company is now holding negotiations for particular deliveries of fixed volumes and terms. Siemens has also launched the production of high-voltage facilities in the region of Botevgrad – till now the company has never made such an investment and has never transferred such know-how from its traditional workshop facilities in Western Europe.

 

Two contracts were signed with BDZ EAD – one for the delivery of 25 diesel trainsets, and the other for 25 electric trainsets. The diesel trains have already been produced and 21 of them have been delivered to Bulgaria. Their operation shows that they are more than suitable for Bulgarian conditions. The customers assess them very positively as well. The first of the 25 electric trainsets will be delivered in the autumn of 2007. These trains will be tailored to fit the specific conditions of the Bulgarian network.

 

Siemens wishes to continue and further develop its cooperation and partnership with BDZ and in this connection it is providing for temporary usage an electric locomotive of type ES 64U2, which is the most modern locomotive in the world and is suitable for the railway infrastructure of the whole of Europe. The engine will arrive in Bulgaria in September this year.

 

Among the strategic directions for the development of Siemens in Bulgaria is the participation in transport projects. Apart from joint projects with NRIC and BDZ EAD, the company has also been involved in the construction of the Metropolitan and the tramway networks in Sofia and it has built a modern traction power substation in Dimitrovgrad. It also was awarded the implementation of the project, funded under PHARE, for the signalling and telecommunications of the line between Blagoevgrad and Kulata.

 

Germany is a strategic partner for Bulgaria and the mutual cooperation has always been of high importance for our country. Being part and parcel of German economy, Siemens has already begun to play a noteworthy role in the modernisation and development of Bulgarian railway transport. The objective and the mission of the company is to serve as a driving force for the modernisation of this strategic branch of the Bulgarian economy and to assist in the transfer of technologies and know-how from Germany and German-speaking countries to Bulgaria.