The workshop is free of charge but registration is necessary.

Register here: DTCC/GATE Digital Twin Platform Workshop (ungpd.com)

Looking forward to meeting you at https://chalmers.zoom.us/j/64874698284 (Password: 08804)

This approach was illustrated by the GATE’s City Living Lab designed to collect real-time data on the environment, street traffic, mobility and cadastral data needed for modelling processes and objects in the city. The purpose of the laboratory is to build a digital model that provides a software safe environment (sandbox) for design, experimentation and analysis of urban processes and urban planning. The data collected by the sensors in the laboratory will be shared through application programming interfaces (APIs) and will provide easy access to stakeholders (high-tech companies building solutions for the city, municipal administration and small businesses), which will allow them to develop and offer new applications for citizens, as well as to test, experiment with and demonstrate different solutions. The lab will be also open to stakeholders to test their own IoT (Internet of Things) infrastructure, relying on the connectivity of the lab and data storage.

Prof. Ilieva also pointed out that one of the GATE partners – Sofia Municipality – also has a vision and activities for the implementation of sandboxes until 2023 and they are establishing procedures to facilitate their implementation.

“We see GATE as an initiator and catalyst for sandbox implementation in Bulgaria together with the AI Cluster Bulgaria, which is very active in the ecosystem. In Bulgaria, we realise the importance of the sandboxes and we are now taking the first steps to implement them in different fields”, said prof. Ilieva

GATE was represented by the Director of the Institute, Prof. Silvia Ilieva, who highlighted its role in strengthening the capacity in the field of artificial intelligence and in particular in creating new, more technologically and practically oriented master’s and doctoral programmes, with the support of industry and partnering European universities. “GATE is an investment in people and it will create an environment for the development of young talents and their ideas,” said Prof. Ilieva, explaining that the Institute would create spinoff firms. As an example of successful cross-sectoral collaboration, Prof. Ilieva pointed out the GATE’s pilot project “Digital Twin City”, implemented in cooperation with Sofia Municipality, Sofiaplan, startup companies and industry, and aiming at helping solve real problems of districts and municipalities.

“The profession of ‘researcher’ in the field of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence is promising, it will develop and will contribute to the better life of people” said Prof. Ilieva in conclusion.

• Prof. Nikolay Denkov, Minister of Education and Science;
• Manuel ALEIXO (RTD), Policy Assistant to the Director-General, Unit A2 – ERA Governance and Implementation, acting Head of Unit, European Commission;
• Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov, Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski ”;
• Konstantin Pavlov, Mayor of Lozenets municipality.

On a total built-up area of ​​602 sq. m., located on four floors, the building will house laboratories, training and meeting rooms, and specialized equipment.

The building will be located on the campus of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski ”between the faculties of Mathematics and Informatics (FMI), Physics (FP) and Chemistry and Pharmacy (FCP), and two other centres funded by the Operational Program “Science and Education for Smart Growth”. This is the most suitable place for the creation of a Science Park at Sofia University, believes Prof. Silvia Ilieva, director of the GATE Institute.

In addition to GATE researchers, the new building will be open to students and partners for demonstrations, experimentation and testing of new technologies and solutions, as well as for seminars and events.

Since its founding, the GATE Institute has managed to attract funding from national and international projects, which exceeds the planned more than twice. Attracted researchers are 15% above the set and the institute has launched two significant pilot projects of major public importance – in the application areas “Future cities” (“City digital twin”) and “Digital Health” (“Digital twin modelling of patients with cognitive disorders“). All this contributes to the prestige of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski ”, as well as for the entire scientific activity in Bulgaria.

As part of the official ceremony, the guests had the opportunity to address their wishes to the institute and place them in a special time capsule to be opened in 10 years.

The Director of GATE, Prof. Silvia Ilieva presented the goals and areas of activity of the Institute. “GATE is an alternative for young people in the field of Information technology,” said Prof. Ilieva.

Assoc. Prof. Desislava Petrova-Antonova, Lead of the Research group “Future cities” presented GATE’s pilot project “City Digital Twin” and its ongoing tasks, and Assoc. Prof. Dean Palejev revealed some highlights in the activities of the Research group “Digital health”, led by him. Prof. Ivan Koychev presented the priorities in the research area “Data Analysis”. The presentation (available here: https://gate.gate-ai.eu/share.cgi?ssid=03Ss8bS ) was followed by a logical quiz, which the participants managed very well, and a questionnaire related to the professional experience of the candidates and respectively to the areas of career development at GATE.

The agreement provides for regular meetings between the Agency staff and researchers from the GATE Institute to discuss opportunities for the development of the Agency’s geo platform and the GATE data platform, as well as to support the implementation of a national data strategy in the context of the European Data Strategy.

Another area of interaction will be the definition of the structure and content of the data sets to be integrated on the data platforms and portals, as well as cooperation in the requirements and rules for data storage, processing and visualization.

The two institutions will jointly study and analyse the need for legislative changes to create more favourable conditions for cooperation between science, education, administration and business.

About 50 participants attended the event and expressed their satisfaction with the amount and quality of the work that had been done.

Topics

• Introduction to disinformation, malinformation and misinformation.
• Social media and disinformation – a brief overview with examples related to COVID-19.
• Recognition of disinformation – main challenges.
• Language markers for disinformation (in Bulgarian).
• Use of natural language processing technologies – how to develop machine learning methods for recognizing disinformation.
• What organizations fight disinformation and how.
• Personal role and contribution in reducing disinformation. Information and media literacy.

The summer school is financially supported by the GATE Institute and is free for participants. Interested candidates must apply by July 8, 2021, by filling out this application form: https://forms.gle/kURT58yQVFtjbssk8