On April 22, the event “AI-Driven Growth: Scaling Business Internationally in the AI Era” took place at Sofia Tech Park, bringing together experts and organizations to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on global business expansion. Among the co-organizers was the GATE Institute, reinforcing its role as a key driver of innovation in Bulgaria.
During the forum, the Institute’s Director, Prof. Sylvia Ilieva, presented GATE’s vision for the future of smart cities, highlighting the importance of digital twins as a tool for more intelligent and adaptive urban management.
“Today, value is no longer created in isolation — it is built together,” Prof. Ilieva emphasized, underlining the importance of collaboration across sectors.
She noted that digital twins enable a shift from reactive to proactive governance through simulation, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making. In this direction, the GATE Institute is actively developing the Digital Twin of Sofia as a key platform for sustainable urban planning and development.
The event also highlighted the growing importance of interconnected ecosystems, where academia, business, and the public sector collaborate to deliver sustainable and measurable solutions in the AI era.
The organizers — Norwegian-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, Bulgarian AI Cluster, Sofia Tech Park, Cluster for Applied AI Norway, BASSCOM, and BAIT — brought together leading stakeholders for an inspiring exchange of ideas and best practices aimed at accelerating growth through AI.