Gate Institute, Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski
Recent meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.
Mission & Goals
The first Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Big Data and AI for Eastern Europe has been launched as ‘Big Data for Smart Society’ – GATE at Sofia University ‘St Kliment Ohridski’, Bulgaria. Catching the momentum within the booming data and AI-driven EU economy, GATE creates a unique research environment and a globally competitive digital hub for big data and AI innovations in future cities, intelligent government, smart industry and digital health. The CoE also accumulates significant expertise and inspires and cultivates the next generation of AI and data scientists and professionals. Providing advanced infrastructure – platform, data, services, and testing and experimentation facilities – GATE City Living Lab, Digital Twin Lab and Visualisation Lab are the heart of a vibrant ecosystem. GATE is a Big Data Value Association (BDVA) member, the Bulgarian Hub of International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) and the initiator of the first Bulgarian Data Space - Urban Data Space.
EU Legislative Interests
Data Act Artificial Intelligence Act Horizon Europe Digital Europe European Health Data Space Data Governance Act Digital Services Act Interoperability between EU information systems Interoperable Europe Act European Digital Identity framework European Media Freedom Act Green Deal
Communication Activities
1. Artificial Intelligence Act: Innovative AI-driven methods supporting Digital Twins LAb2LAb seminar - which took place on 15/10/2025 online. 2. Artificial Intelligence Act: High-level seminar “Digital Synergies: Bulgaria–Japan Dialogue on Digital Twins, AI, Data Spaces & Urban Futures” - which took place on 29/08/2025 in Osaka, Japan. 3. Data Act: Internal LAb2LAb Seminar: GATE Institute, Bulgaria & CCS, Japan - which took place on 25/06/2025 online. 4. Data Governance Act: Innovative Connectivity, Data spaces, and Cyber Security Solutions shaping the European Competitiveness and DATA Sovereignty - which took place on 28/11/2025 in Sofia. 5. European Media Freedom Act: Sofia Information Integrity Forum - which took place on 05–07/11/2025 in Sofia. 6. Green Deal: Digital Twin-Ready Urban Climate Framework: WRF–City-LES Modelling of Sofia’s Thermal Environment (Lab2Lab Seminar) - which took place on 17/12/2025 online
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
Big Data Value Association (BDVA) International Data Space Association (IDSA) Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Alliance for IoT and Edge Computing Innovation (AIOTI) Data, AI and Robotics (DAIRO) Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) Others
Organisation Members
N/A
Additional Information
• GATE - aims to institutionalise GATE Centre of Excellence as a globally competitive research and innovation ecosystem in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, with application domains including Future Cities, Intelligent Government, Smart Industry and Digital Health. • DataPACT - focuses on developing compliance-by-design tools, methodologies and frameworks for ethical, compliant and environmentally sustainable data and AI operations and pipelines. • VELES - aims to create a sustainable place-based innovation ecosystem enabled by a Regional Smart Health Data Space, supporting research, innovation and adoption of secure digital health solutions. • ExcellEnt - promotes youth entrepreneurship and self-employability by capturing, organising and communicating entrepreneurial experiences, stories and narratives as a shared resource for individuals and institutions. • DiverSea - focuses on improving marine biodiversity observation, monitoring, mapping and prediction by combining DNA-based methods, emerging molecular techniques, autonomous systems, satellite remote sensing, citizen science and AI/ML-based data integration. • INTEND - develops AI-enabled, intent-based data operations for the Cloud-Edge-IoT computing continuum, supporting more efficient resource management, strategic decision-making, data security, sustainability and natural-language interaction with data stakeholders. • DS4PED / deployEMDS - contributes to the development of the common European mobility data space by supporting interoperable, secure and trusted mobility data sharing across European implementation sites, with the aim of accelerating sustainable and smart mobility. • BROD 2.0 - supports the work of an independent regional EDMO hub focused on analysing digital media ecosystems, strengthening detection and analysis of disinformation campaigns, improving public awareness and media literacy, and assessing platform policies