The events brought together mayors, representatives of the European Commission, researchers, and experts from leading European cities such as Madrid, Helsinki, Riga, Porto, Barcelona, and Munich, placing the Bulgarian capital at the centre of the European dialogue on digital transformation and sustainable urban development.

On the first day, Prof. Desislava Petrova-Antonova from the GATE Institute participated in a panel discussion dedicated to digital twins and climate resilience. She highlighted how, through the integration of data and models, cities can better understand and respond to challenges such as heatwaves, floods, and complex interdependencies within urban systems. Special emphasis was placed on the role of digital twins as a tool for simulation and informed decision-making in areas such as energy, mobility, and urban planning.

As part of the official programme, international delegates visited the GATE Institute, where they gained first-hand insight into the institute’s applied research activities and its contribution to the development of smart cities. The visit included presentations of GATE’s work in the fields of data spaces and digital twins, as well as European projects focused on the urban environment in which the institute is involved. Examples included the application of the Common European Mobility Data Space (deployEMDS) through use cases for Sofia, as well as the InnovationAmp project, which supports Bulgarian municipalities in their digital transformation.

The demonstration session provided participants with the opportunity to see GATE’s technologies in action. In the Visualization Lab, an interactive 3D city model was presented, enabling the simulation of various urban scenarios—from traffic and air pollution to energy efficiency. Delegates also observed a demonstration of a data space for positive energy districts (DS4PED), as well as a projection mapping of a physical city model, visualising the impact of different policy decisions in a real-world environment.