On 12 February 2026, the GATE Institute organized the first training in Bulgaria dedicated to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. The event was held in partnership with the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria and brought together managers, entrepreneurs, legal professionals, and innovation and technology experts.

The discussion was moderated by Dr. Irena Georgieva from the Legal Group of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria. This dialogical format enabled participants to examine specific cases and practical scenarios from their own work related to the regulation.

GATE Institute hosted a national expert workshop under its Intelligent Government research domain, bringing together over 20 representatives from the public sector.

The scholarship is part of an international initiative by Google DeepMind AI aimed at supporting highly motivated students in the fields of artificial intelligence and computer science. Through its partnership with Google DeepMind AI, the GATE Institute continues to strengthen its role as a leading center for education and research in big data and artificial intelligence, as well as an active member of the European and global academic community.

Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” through the GATE Institute, is one of only four organizations in Europe authorized to award the Google DeepMind AI Scholarship to master’s students, alongside École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay (France), the University of Warsaw (Poland), and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania).

The GATE Institute, together with the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC), organized a specialized workshop dedicated to presenting the concept of data spaces, their benefits, and real-world scenarios for their use across different sectors. The event brought together representatives of key organisations from Sofia and the region, including the public sector, industry, and the technology ecosystem.

Call for Industry, Research and Innovation Actors

The GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” unveiled new horizons for science, innovation, and technology during the international forum Up To GATE 2025: New Horizons, which brought together leading Bulgarian and global experts in artificial intelligence and data. Special guest speaker was Prof. Noboru Koshizuka – one of the most prominent figures in the global scientific community in the fields of IoT, smart cities, and artificial intelligence. He presented for the first time worldwide his new concept “Urbanetics”, integrating research domains such as AI, data spaces, smart cities, and the Internet of Things.

One day before the start of the international forum UpToGATE 2025: New Horizons, the GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Infrastructure Application of Ubiquitous Computing (Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies) at the University of Tokyo – one of the most prestigious research institutions in the world. The event was attended by Prof. Reneta Bozhankova, Vice-Rector of Sofia University, H.E. Marieta Arabadjieva – Ambassador of Bulgaria to Japan, as well as representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria.

The GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” welcomed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev.

Simeon Karpuzov, a researcher at the GATE Institute, received the grand prize at the 23rd edition of the entrepreneurship competition held during the European Day of the Entrepreneur 2025.