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

Bulgaria is part of the Horizon Europe FINEX project, which aims to strengthen cooperation across European innovation ecosystems and improve access to environments where cleantech and deep-tech solutions can be tested and validated. A central activity in the early stages of the project has been the creation of a cross-regional database mapping testing and experimentation spaces. For Bulgaria, this process provided a clearer overview of the national landscape and shed light on both existing capabilities and areas where further development could support cleantech innovation.

The Horizon Europe project FINEX is helping to strengthen the conditions for testing and deploying cleantech innovations, supporting Europe’s wider goal of accelerating the green and digital transition. The project brings together partners from six countries, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, with the aim of improving how innovation ecosystems collaborate and how new technologies can be validated in real or simulated environments.

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.