The special guest keynote speaker was Prof. Noboru Kosizuka – one of the most influential figures worldwide in the fields of IoT, smart cities, and artificial intelligence. He presented for the first time his new global concept “Urbanetics,” which unites research domains such as artificial intelligence, data spaces, smart cities, and the Internet of Things.

The event, which has become one of the most significant in the field of digital technologies, attracted representatives from European institutions, academia, and industry. The forum was opened by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science Academician Nikolay Vitanov, Sofia Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development Ivan Goychev, the Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria Yordanka Chobanova, Vice-Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Academician Toni Spasov, and Chair of the GATE Board of Directors Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov.

“With each passing year, GATE is increasingly established as one of the key platforms for the conversation about the future of artificial intelligence — a future that is no longer a question of if but of how: how we apply it responsibly, ethically, and with real impact on society,” noted Deputy Minister Academician Vitanov. He emphasized that Bulgaria needs centres that not only use but also create innovation — such as the GATE Institute.

Sofia’s Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development Ivan Goychev highlighted GATE’s important role for the capital through its work on the Sofia Digital Twin — the first digital city model in Bulgaria designed to support sustainable, open, and intelligent urban development.

Yordanka Chobanova emphasized GATE’s strategic role for the EU. “The GATE Institute is a trusted partner and friend of the European Commission. Thanks to its work, Bulgaria already has a visible place on the European AI map,” she said. The Head of the EC Representation outlined the European vision for the future of AI — from building gigafactories and supercomputing infrastructures to investing in talent, AI adoption in industry, and the creation of shared European data spaces.

Academician Spasov underlined the close connection between GATE and the research ecosystem of Sofia University, noting that GATE is among the leading centres of excellence in the country.

Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov, Chair of the GATE Board, highlighted the institute’s achievements over the past year — participation in 20 European projects, over 150 scientific publications, and partnerships with more than 500 organizations worldwide. “GATE demonstrates what is possible when leading scientists inspire ambitious young researchers,” he said.

GATE Director Prof. Silvia Ilieva emphasized the Institute’s human-centred scientific approach. “The most advanced system we can ever create remains the human mind,” she noted, stressing that GATE’s mission is to turn knowledge into opportunities, data into insights, and innovation into progress for Bulgaria, Europe, and the world.

“Everything we achieve is thanks to our researchers — the people who push the boundaries of science every day,” she added.

In his keynote “Urbanetics: Building Environmental Intelligence in the City through AI and Data,” the world-renowned Japanese scientist Prof. Noboru Kosizuka demonstrated how AI and data analytics can transform urban environments, creating intelligent and sustainable cities where technology supports harmonious interaction between people, infrastructure, and the environment. He also highlighted EU–Japan cooperation in building open platforms for smart cities, showing how data exchange and sharing across countries, institutions, and industries can foster sustainable development, innovation, and digital transformation.

International experts in the AI regulation panel stressed the need for experimental frameworks that support prototyping, testing, and developing new and emerging technologies. Examples from global leaders such as IKEA, Google, and imec illustrated the necessity of creating environments that enable innovators to experiment and develop products, services, and business models through rapid prototyping and testing.

The program of Up To GATE 2025: New Horizons continued with presentations of the Institute’s achievements in its core research and application domains — Future Cities, Digital Health, and Intelligent Governance. A dedicated panel explored data sharing as a driver of innovation, with international experts emphasizing the need for standardization in data spaces to achieve interoperability, trust-building, and regulatory compliance.

The role of research as the foundation for innovation and economic growth was at the heart of the business-oriented panel, where the keynote presentation was delivered by Stefan Dobrev, Chair of the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The discussion brought together representatives of the European innovation ecosystem, fintech sector, industry, venture capital, and social entrepreneurship. Participants shared concrete examples and effective models for cooperation between research organizations, startups, corporations, and investors.

In special demonstration sessions, GATE researchers showcased the latest developments of the city’s Digital Twin, as well as newly developed tools that can be used by industry, government, and citizens.