German automotive software supplier Sulzer will spend an initial EUR1.5m (US$1.7m) to open an R&D centre in Sofia, the Bulgarian economy ministry reportedly said.

It will eventually create about 100 jobs for highly skilled IT workers, the ministry said in a press release cited by SeeNews.com.

Company customers include BMW, Audi, Daimler, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Seat, Volkswagen and Skoda, the report noted.

Selecting Bulgaria aligns with the company’s strategy for ‘nearshoring’ which would enable it to shorten supply chains, Sulzer CEO Michael Kraus said, adding the company expects to benefit from ‘synergies and partnerships in the ‘well-developed ecosystem in the automotive sector’.

Bulgaria’s burgeoning automotive sector employs 75,000 people and generated over 10% of the country’s GDP in 2022, SeeNews said.

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