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.

On November 27, within the framework of the international forum “Up To GATE 2025: New Horizons,” the GATE Institute will give a stage to one of the most important topics for the future of technologies – how regulations can be a driver, and not a brake, on innovation.

The panel “From the Laboratory to the Market: How Can the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Support the Development of Artificial Intelligence?”, from 11:30 to 12:30, promises a conversation that goes beyond dry rules and documents and enters the essence of how Europe imagines its AI future through the idea of innovation for the benefit of people. The discussion will move beyond the usual headlines and focus on the real question – how we turn good intentions and ambitious policies into solutions that reach the market and improve our everyday lives.

Representatives of the GATE Institute – Prof. Sylvia Ilieva, Prof. Desislava Petrova-Antonova, Irena Petrova and Eleonora Getsova – took part in the European Big Data Value Forum (EBDVF) 2025, held from 12 to 14 November in Copenhagen.

From 5 to 7 November, the GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” hosted the Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2025 — an international event dedicated to strengthening trust in information and countering manipulation in the digital environment.

GATE Institute took part in the National Forum “From Science to Innovation,” organized by the Executive Agency “Education Programme” – Intermediate Body responsible for the management of Priority Areas 1 and 2 under Priority 1 of the Programme “Research, Innovation and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation” 2021–2027.

Prof. Noboru Koshizuka – one of Japan’s most prominent scientists in the fields of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Open Data, and Smart Cities – will be a special guest and keynote speaker at the forum “Up To GATE 2025: New Horizons”, organized by the GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” on November 27, 2025. His talk will be titled “Urbanetics: Building Ecological Intelligence in Cities through Artificial Intelligence and Data.”

On October 28, the GATE Institute took part in the Regional Defence Summit 2025, organized by Economedia and Kapital. The event brought together more than 500 participants — including representatives of the European Commission, defence ministries, leading industrial companies, innovators, research organizations, and investors — to discuss Europe’s strategic priorities in defence, technology, and innovation.