Czech company BTL opens its new BGN 100 million factory in Plovdiv

The new production facility of Czech company BTL Industries, a leading global manufacturer of high-tech medical equipment, was opened in Plovdiv. The investment amounts to nearly BGN 100 million and, according to President Rumen Radev, who attended the ceremony, is one of the most significant for the city in recent years and the largest ever made by a Czech investor in Bulgaria.

This investment represents a model that we want the entire Bulgarian economy to become," President Radev emphasized in his speech, quoted by BTA.

The new plant is expected to employ around 750 people, with the number of employees growing by another 500 over the next 2-3 years.

The new facility is located in the city's Eastern Industrial Zone, on a site of over 29,000 square meters, the territory of the former Pulpudeva leather factory. The plant has automated production and storage systems, its own office and logistics spaces, and a modern fleet.

BTL Industries began production in Bulgaria in the 1990s, using rented premises in Plovdiv until now. Plans to build its own factory date back to 2019, and in 2020 the company received a Class A investment certificate and support from the Bulgarian government in the amount of BGN 1.02 million for the construction of road infrastructure. Official construction began in the summer of 2021, with the investment estimated at BGN 20 million at the time.

According to a May 2025 publication by Forbes Česko, BTL Industries is taking a strategic step towards high-tech rehabilitation by acquiring the Italian company U&O, developer of the UAN.GO exoskeleton. The device allows patients with severe neurological impairments to move again, including on stairs and uneven terrain. Part of the exoskeleton's production will be moved to Bulgaria, according to the Czech publication, with development remaining in Italy.

The equipment manufactured in Plovdiv – in the fields of physiotherapy, cardiology, and aesthetic medicine – is mainly intended for export. BTL Industries' products reach over 110 countries on six continents, and the company has sales offices in over 80 countries and five development centers.

According to Forbes Česko, the company reports a 30% year-on-year increase in production and plans to manufacture around 50,000 medical devices by the end of 2025. By the end of 2024, nearly 800 people will have been employed in Bulgaria, with expectations for the creation of 1,500 more jobs. In parallel with its industrial expansion, BTL has also announced its entry into the mental health sector with ExoMind, a six-week therapeutic program aimed at mental recovery.

Translated with DeepL.