International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The paper presents a conceptual model for overcoming the consequences of the pandemic based on summarized results from research focused on societal challenges in Bulgaria caused by COVID-19. The study aims to submit a unified methodological framework for application by experts in researching, analyzing, and bench-marking the entrepreneurs’ activity and suggestions for applicable and reasonable measures in the field of business development during the pandemic situation caused by COVID-19. The findings of this research can assist managers in national institutions and business organizations to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of different measures which influence creativity and innovation and focus on proactive suggestions to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic.

The aim of the paper is to explore what the influence of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRS) on the Modern economic growth is, whether there is a relationship between them, and what impact can patents have on the invention activity – positive, negative or both. It is going to explain the importance and association of technological progress with economic growth, the main goal and idea of IPRS, the way the system has been used in the period of the beginning of Modern economic growth, and research whether patents were the biggest incentive for inventors in this period as a whole and in wine industry in particular. The paper provides examples of the main European, United States and International patents available on wine production and preservation

The paper presents a conceptual model for investigating the innovation activity of enterprises from the wine industry in Bulgaria. The study aims to submit a unified methodological framework for application by experts in researching, analyzing and benchmarking the innovation activity in the sector. Many researchers confirm that different innovation models are appropriate for different sectors, regardless of best practices in innovation management, and it all depends on the specificity of innovation and its relationship to sector specificities. Thus, the examination of wine sector requires a specific approach and an empirical research, based on own questionnaire focused on the individualism and the need to study the innovation niches and opportunities of wine sector.

Social entrepreneurs cleverly combine business techniques and private sector approaches in order to develop solutions to social, cultural, or environmental problems, and do so in a variety of organizations. All European countries need to promote the entrepreneur spirit, to stabilize the institutional and cultural environment for innovations, and to increase the number of socially oriented small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This exploratory approach is focused on SMEs from wine industry, positioned in Plovdiv territorial unit, Bulgaria. It presents opportunities to enrich company’s innovation strategies with a view to increase the share of social enterprises and the motivation of employees and owners to implement “good practices” for social entrepreneurship. This study offers different perspectives for observing the phenomenon social entrepreneurship, opportunities for financing and National policies that are focused on their encouragement.