Coal Regions after Coal: A New Industrial Policy for Bulgaria (Въглищни райони след края на въгледобива: Нова индустриална политика на България)

The core thesis of this work is that the future of coal regions depends on the adoption of a comprehensive strategy for a New Industrial Policy (NIP) at the national level. The research is based on “the other canon” in economics, which advocates for an active state role in promoting sectors capable of productivity explosions. In the context of Bulgaria, this is of critical importance as the country is affected by premature deindustrialization and the trap of low value-added activities.The energy transition should not be perceived as an isolated environmental act, but rather as a strategic opportunity for neo-industrialization and technological emancipation from international supply chains. This transition represents both a threat of regional depression and a unique chance for national advancement. Bulgaria can no longer afford “political lying low” and the postponement of decisions, which only serves to narrow the country's strategic window. Success depends on the state's ability to act as a market-shaping entity that creates new economic ecosystems through instruments such as the Public Energy Transition Company (OKEP) and high-tech industrial parks. The “Maritsa-iztok” coal complex possesses a unique resource of labor, infrastructure, and location, which, under a proper NIP, can transform the region into the industrial heart of a modern and competitive Bulgaria.