About the Forum

Join us as we mark five incredible years of innovation at GATE Institute with Up to GATE: Technology, Big Data & Beyond — a one-of-a-kind event that unites visionaries, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to explore the future of Big Data and AI. Taking place from November 20th to November 24th, 2024, this five-day celebration will showcase GATE’s achievements, cutting-edge research, and international collaborations, cementing our role as a leading hub for technological transformation.

Where

5 James Bourchier Blvd., Sofia

When

Wednesday through Sunday
20-24 November

What to Expect

Day 1, November 20th: GATE Unites — Hear from world-renowned speakers, dive into visionary panels on Data Spaces and Smart Cities, and experience firsthand the societal impact of Big Data and AI.

Day 2, November 21st: GATE Applies — Our researchers take the stage to present the latest breakthroughs in Future Cities, Digital Health, and Intelligent Government, with hands-on workshops designed to inspire practical applications.

Day 3, November 22nd: GATE Educates — Masterclasses from leading experts on Media Literacy, AI Act compliance, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Days 4-5, Over the weekend: AEC Hackathon — The event concludes with an adrenaline-pumping weekend hackathon that challenges participants to design cutting-edge solutions for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with forward-thinking innovators, share ideas, and celebrate GATE’s trailblazing journey in advancing Big Data and AI for a smarter and more connected future!

Keynotes and Panel Speakers

Here are our keynotes and speakers

Speaker 2

Preslav Nakov

Professor, MBZUAI

Speaker 1

Sylvia Ilieva

Director, GATE Institute

Speaker 4

Radoslav Rizov

Director General, Ministry of Innovation and Growth

Speaker 1

Ivan Goychev

Deputy Mayor, Sofia Municipality

Speaker 1

Michael Schaefer

IDSA Ambassador

Speaker 4

Christoph Mertens

Head of Adoption, IDSA

Speaker 4

Norberto Andrade

AI Policy Leader, XGO Strategies

Speaker 4

Demian Niemeyer

AI Regulatory Expert, appliedAI Institute

Speaker 9

Georgi Hristov

Senior Manager Presales and Access Networks, VIVACOM

Speaker 9

Georgi Nenov

Event Host, Facilitator & Keynote Speaker

Speaker 3

Sophie Meszaros

Project manager and research advisor, OASC

Speaker 3

Anders Logg

Professor, Chalmers University

Speaker 5

Dessislava Petrova-Antonova

Professor, GATE Institute

Speaker 4

Hannah Bowden

Programme Delivery Lead, Ai Airlock

Speaker 4

Yolina Petrova

VP of AI & Data Solutions, Identrics

Speaker 6

Valentina Ivanova

Deputy Director of CEA-List Institute

Speaker 6

Graham Kemp

Professor, Chalmers University

Speaker 7

Mila Koeva

Associate Professor, The Unievrsity of Twente

Speaker 9

Kalina Bontcheva

Professor, University of Sheffield

Speaker 2

Aqsa Farooq

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Amsterdam

Speaker 1

Jorge Gil

Associate Professor, Chalmers University

Speaker 8

Venelin Kovachev

Assistant professor, University of Birmingham

Speaker 9

Keith Peter Kiely

Experienced Researcher, GATE Institute

Speaker 2

Ivo Emanuilov

Experienced researcher, GATE Institute

Event Schedule

The workshops will be held on the 21st of November in parallel.

The program is subject of change.

REGISTRATION

OPENING

  • Official opening ceremony
  • Addresses from official guests
    • Prof. Galin Tsokov, Minister of Education and Science
    • Vassil Terziev, Mayor of Sofia Municipality
    • Prof. Georgi Valchev, Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
    • Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov, Chairman of the Executive Board of the GATE Institute
  • GATE in the Spotlight: Interview of the “Super Human” Georgi Nenov with prof. Sylvia Ilieva, Director of GATE Institute
  • Keynote Speaker: Preslav Nakov, Professor and Department Chair for NLP, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence

COFFEE BREAK

PANEL 1: THE FUTURE OF DATA SHARING: OPPORTUNITIES AND VALUE CREATION IN DATA SPACES

Кeynote: Christoph Mertens, IDSA

Speakers:

  • Radoslav Rizov, Ministry of Innovation and Growth
  • Michael Schaefer, Data Ecosystem Expert
  • Sylvia Ilieva, Director of GATE Institute
  • Georgi Hristov, Senior Manager Presales and Access Networks, VIVACOM

LUNCH

PANEL 2: REIMAGINING URBAN SUSTAINABILITY: DIGITAL TWINS AND DATA SPACES AT THE FOREFRONT

Moderator: Jorge Gil, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Speakers:

  • Dessislava Petrova-Antonova, GATE Institute, Bulgaria
  • Sophie Meszaros, OASC
  • Mila Koeva, University of Twente, The Netherlands
  • Anders Logg, Chalmers University of Technology & DTCC, Sweden
  • Ivan Goychev, Sofia Municipality

COFFEE BREAK

PANEL 3: TRENDS OF THE FUTURE: A PRO-INNOVATION APPROACH TO AI GOVERNANCE THROUGH EXPERIMENTAL REGULATION

Moderator: Ivo Emanuilov, GATE Institute

  • Demian Niemeyer, appliedAI
  • Norberto Andrade, XGO Strategies, formerly Global Policy Lead, Meta, Open Loop
  • Dr Hannah Bowden, UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, AI Airlock Regulatory Sandbox Programme Delivery Lead, Innovative Devices
  • Valentina Ivanova, Deputy Director of CEA-List Institute

COFFEE BREAK

PANEL 4: HARNESSING AI TO COMBAT MISINFORMATION: INNOVATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Keynote: Preslav Nakov, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi

Moderator: Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute

  • Aqsa Farooq, University of Amsterdam
  • Kalina Bontcheva, GATE/University of Sheffield
  • Venelin Kovachev, University of Birmingham
  • Yolina Petrova, Identrics

CLOSING

DAY 1 WRAP-UP

REGISTRATION

WORKSHOP 1 HANDS-ON WORKSHOP ON TECHNOLOGIES, TOOLS AND PLATFORMS FOR URBAN DIGITAL TWIN DEVELOPMENT

Chairs:

  • Prof. Dessislava Petrova-Antonova, GATE Institute, Bulgaria
  • Peter Hristov, GATE Institute, Bulgaria
  • Kaloyan Karamitov, GATE Institute, Bulgaria

WORKSHOP 2 URBAN DIGITAL TWINS: CITIES JOURNEYS FROM DATA TO DECISION INTELLIGENCE

Keynote: Jorge Gil, CHALMERS, Sweden, The Life of Urban Digital Twins in the Federated Data Spaces Ecosystem

Track 1: Digital Twins for Urban Sustainability and Climate Resilience

Chair: Vasilis Naserentin, CHALMERS

Speakers:

  • Peter O. Hristov, GATE, Bulgaria
  • Lidia Vitanova, GATE, Bulgaria
  • Radostin Mitkov, GATE, Bulgaria
  • Phil Weir, Director, F&T
  • Orfeas Eleftheriou, CHALMERS, Sweden

Track 2: Enhancing Urban Mobility and Walkability with Digital Twins

Chair: Peter Hristov, GATE

Speakers:

  • Lidia Vitanova, GATE, Bulgaria
  • Kaloyan Karamitov,GATE, Bulgaria
  • Stanimira Nikolova, GATE, Bulgaria
  • Emil Hristov, GATE, Bulgaria

Track 3: Designing Positive Energy Districts and Liveable Urban Spaces with Digital Twins

Chair: Lidia Vitanova, GATE, Bulgaria

Speakers:

  • Evgeniy Shirinyan, GATE, Bulgaria
  • Stelios Krinidis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
  • Asimina Dimara, Information Technologies Institute (ITI), Greece

WORKSHOP 3 INTELLIGENT GOVERNMENT & DISINFORMATION – TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND TRENDS IN ELECTIONS

Part 1: Language-Specific Resources and Tools for Detecting Disinformation

Part 2: Disinformation Trends and Elections in 2024

Part 3: Monitoring the Code of Practice on Disinformation

WORKSHOP 4 DIGITAL HEALTH: DIAGNOSTIC & PROGNOSTIC ALGORITHMS, DATA, PLATFORMS, AND TOOLS

Track 1: Multidisciplinary and Multinational Research and Innovations in Digital Health

Track 2: Medical Innovations via Digital Platforms & Intelligent Algorithms

WORKSHOP 5 GATE LABS FOR EXCELLENCE: DRIVING SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION AND NEXT-GEN BUSINESS MODELS

Interactive session: exploring the bridge between academia and the world

Chairs:

  • Peter Hristov, GATE Institute, Bulgaria
  • Kaloyan Karamitov, GATE Institute, Bulgaria
  • Ivo Emanuilov, GATE Institute, Bulgaria

LUNCH

MASTER CLASS 1 How to Prepare for the EU AI Act?

Discover how the new EU Artificial Intelligence Act will impact businesses across the EU and how your company can adapt to these groundbreaking requirements. Tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises, this masterclass provides a hands-on guide to building a risk-based and ethically sound AI governance program. Led by experts Ivo Emanuilov and Boyan Dafov, this session will offer in-depth knowledge on AI regulation.

Register

MASTER CLASS 2 Combating Disinformation in the Digital Era

Join this interactive masterclass focused on cutting-edge methods for detecting and combating disinformation. Designed for media professionals and public administrators, this course explores how to identify and manage disinformation using AI and digital tools. Led by an expert teaching team, this session will share best practices and insights from leading European initiatives.

Register

HACKATHON AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) HACKATHON

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ABOUT PANEL SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS

  • The panel will explore the opportunities that data spaces offer for unlocking value within the data economy. Featuring experts from diverse fields, the discussion will emphasize how active engagement in data-sharing ecosystems can deliver substantial benefits to a wide range of stakeholders, including businesses, governments, and individuals. The session aims to reveal the various ways in which data spaces can foster innovation, enhance collaboration, and open new revenue streams. The speakers, bringing their unique perspectives and real-world experience, will share valuable insights on the current landscape of data spaces, as well as their potential to shape the future.

    Panel Objectives:

    • Explore the benefits of data spaces for businesses and society: Explore how data spaces can drive new opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and revenue across various industries, highlighting the positive impact they can have on businesses, governments, and everyday life.
    • Highlight the importance of data-sharing ecosystems: Discuss why the data-sharing ecosystems are essential for a connected, data-driven economy.
    • Provide insights on emerging trends and future developments: Offer expert perspectives on the future of data spaces, including upcoming standards and technologies, policy changes, and industry shifts that will shape the evolution of data-sharing practices and the broader data economy.
  • Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) and Data Spaces have emerged as game-changing paradigms, facilitating the planning and development of sustainable cities. This panel session invites you to undertake a journey into the future of cities, where UDTs are central to creating smarter, more resilient, and environmentally conscious urban surroundings. It will showcase the dynamic interplay between UDTs and Data Spaces, exploring how they can revolutionise planning, designing, and managing our cities.

    Key Discussion Points:

    • Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds: Understand UDTs create digital replicas of cities, reflecting real-time data from sensors, infrastructure, and citizens to support data-driven decisions towards sustainable cities and communities.
    • UDTs and Data Spaces synergy: Showcase the dynamic interplay between UDTs and Data Spaces, exploring how they can revolutionise planning, designing, and managing our cities.
    • Scaling UDTs Globally: Examine how UDTs can be scaled to different cities worldwide. Discuss challenges related to data standards, interoperability, and adapting UDTs to varying urban contexts.
    • Public-Private Collaboration: Highlight the importance of collaboration between governments, private sectors, academia, and citizens in harnessing the full potential of UDTs. Discuss successful models of partnership.
    • Future Directions: Envision the future of urban development with UDTs and Data Spaces at its core. Explore their hidden potential in fostering better urban planning and decision-making.
  • This panel will delve into the cutting-edge concepts of policy prototyping, experimental regulation, regulatory sandboxes, and the auditing and governance of AI systems. The discussion will centre on the opportunities and challenges of anticipatory and experimental regulation, emphasising the role of testing and experimentation in creating evidence-based regulation. This panel will also discuss the activities of the newly established GATE Experimental Regulation and Policy Lab and its sandbox environment.

    Panel Objectives:

    • Explore the concept of policy prototyping: Discuss how policy prototyping can be used to test and refine regulatory approaches before they are implemented on a larger scale.
    • Examine experimental regulation: Analyse the benefits and challenges of experimental regulation, including the use of regulatory sandboxes to foster innovation while ensuring compliance and safety.
    • Discuss regulatory sandboxes: Highlight the role of regulatory sandboxes in providing a controlled environment for testing new technologies and business models.
    • Audit and governance of AI systems: Address the importance of auditing AI systems and how experimental environments can support this activity to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in their deployment.
    • Create evidence-based regulation: Emphasise the role of testing and experimentation in developing regulations that are informed by empirical evidence and real-world data.
  • This section on the panel will focus on the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and large language models (LLMs) for detecting and mitigating misinformation and disinformation. It will explore the latest advancements in AI technologies that enable rapid identification of misleading content, the ethical implications of AI use in this context, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among stakeholders to enhance media literacy and critical thinking. Additionally, the panel will address the potential risks associated with AI-generated misinformation and the need for transparent policies to safeguard against misuse, ultimately aiming to foster a more informed society through effective AI-driven solutions.

    Panel Objectives:

    • Explore the concept of policy prototyping: Discuss how policy prototyping can be used to test and refine regulatory approaches before they are implemented on a larger scale.
    • Examine experimental regulation: Analyse the benefits and challenges of experimental regulation, including the use of regulatory sandboxes to foster innovation while ensuring compliance and safety.
    • Discuss regulatory sandboxes: Highlight the role of regulatory sandboxes in providing a controlled environment for testing new technologies and business models.
    • Audit and governance of AI systems: Address the importance of auditing AI systems and how experimental environments can support this activity to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in their deployment.
    • Create evidence-based regulation: Emphasise the role of testing and experimentation in developing regulations that are informed by empirical evidence and real-world data.
  • Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) transform how cities are planned, monitored, and managed. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the fundamentals of UDT, focusing on technologies, tools and standards for its implementation. Designed for city planners, engineers, developers, and data scientists, the workshop aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the UTD building blocks. Participants will gain hands-on experience with key digital twin solutions, learning how urban data from diverse sources is structured, integrated, analysed and visualised to describe, diagnose and predict city behaviours to support informed decision-making towards resilient cities and smart communities.

  • Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) have emerged as powerful tools in pursuing sustainable urban development. This engaging workshop provides a deep dive into the real-world Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) use cases, showing how they reshape the future of our cities. It unveils their potential by showcasing case studies inspired by rapid urbanisation, climate change and resource management. Participants include urban planners, architects, data scientists, and technology enthusiasts, all united by a common goal: to contribute to overcoming the challenges faced by the cities of tomorrow.

    Key Discussion Points:

    • Urban Digital Twins in Action: Explore how the UDTs continuously evolve and mirror real-world changes, addressing challenges related to data interoperability and integrating various digital tools.
    • Sustainability and Climate Resilience: Discuss how UDTs are pivotal in achieving city sustainable goals. Explore their role in reducing air pollution, fostering an eco-friendly urban environment and mitigating the impact of climate change.
    • Liveable Urban Spaces: Explore how UDTs aid in designing cities prioritising quality of life. Discuss the creation of 15-minute walkable cities and pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods.
    • Enhancing urban mobility with UDTs: Uncover the role of UDTs in improving urban mobility, reducing carbon footprint, and integrating sustainable transportation options. Learn how UDTs can model and simulate future mobility trends, helping cities design efficient, accessible, and eco-friendly transport networks for all.
  • This workshop will be in three parts, dealing with three specific and strategic areas of research for the GATE Institute and the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory on Digital Media (BROD).

    Part 1: LANGUAGE SPECIFIC RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR DETECTING DISINFORMATION
    We will explore the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the development of automated tools for identifying false or misleading information. As misinformation continues to proliferate across various platforms, particularly social media, the need for effective detection mechanisms has become increasingly critical. This workshop will delve into the methodologies and technologies that can be employed to combat disinformation, particularly in the context of the Bulgarian language.

    Part 2: DISINFORMATION TRENDS AND ELECTIONS IN 2024
    Our aim is to critically analyze the evolving landscape of disinformation in the context of national and European elections in 2024 in Bulgaria. As disinformation continues to pose significant threats to democratic processes globally, this workshop will focus on understanding its implications specifically within the Bulgarian political environment. Participants will explore the various forms of disinformation that have emerged in recent electoral cycles, examining how these tactics can influence voter behavior and public opinion.

    Part 3: MONITORING THE CODE OF PRACTICE ON DISINFORMATION
    This workshop aims to bring together stakeholders, including policymakers, local moderating bodies, and civil society organizations in Bulgaria, to discuss and evaluate the implementation of the Code of Practice. It seeks to address the specific challenges and opportunities related to disinformation within the Bulgarian context, focusing on local moderation practices and policy implications. By fostering dialogue and sharing best practices, the workshop aims to enhance understanding of disinformation dynamics, promote accountability in online platforms, and ensure that local policies align with EU standards to effectively combat the spread of false information.

  • Track 1: Multidisciplinary and Multinational EU Research and Innovations in Digital Health
    Digitalisation asks for Multidisciplinary and Multinational research and innovations in the health field. The first track of the workshop is dedicated to critical projections of the EU's vision of Bulgaria's healthcare organisation and practice and the current GATE projects in the field. First, we present the critical priorities for developing the national healthcare system in light of the EU's vision in the field. For the second topic, we focus on the current international, multidisciplinary EU GATE project VELES as a showcase for excellence and the role of GATE in it. We present the design and findings of the GATE pilot feasibility study for early diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease within the VELES project. Further, we show the federated learning opportunities, which will be implemented within the pilot.

    Track 2: Medical Innovations via Digital Platforms & Intelligent Algorithms
    The digital era poses specific scientific challenges, particularly in health and healthcare. The second track of the workshop is dedicated to data and innovation opportunities. First, we pay attention to data collection, access, and scalability, which enables complex scientific research, data collection, processing methodologies, and acquired knowledge in healthcare. The data is in the hands of healthcare providers, so our first focus is on them. The second topic we focus on is real-time data processing, particularly Innovative Hybrid Learning Algorithms. We call them 'hybrid' because they allow unsupervised and supervised learning, which is essential in medicine. At the same time, these algorithms are adaptive and provide a methodology for reinforcement learning, repeatedly increasing the quality of detections. Third, we focus on sensors for real-time patient information collection and innovative algorithms for continuous patient monitoring while adhering to high ethical standards. The detection part of these algorithms may use the adaptive learning schema mentioned above.

  • Academia's relevance extends beyond theoretic developments and fundamental science alone. Academic and research institutions have the true potential for generating disruptive technologies and solutions. This requires a living connection to be established and nurtured with industry, the government and the broader community as whole to bridge research and real-world applications.

    This workshop will present GATE’s vision for how such a connection can be put in place and maintained and what is the role of GATE’s laboratories to achieve this vision.

    The leads of the City Living Lab, the Experimental Policy and Regulation Lab and the Digital Twin Lab sit down to discuss how GATE labs can serve as a gateway to scientific rigor, knowledge-based development, transparent operations and evidence-based regulation for all levels of stakeholders.

URBAN DIGITAL TWINS: CITIES JOURNEYS FROM DATA TO DECISION INTELLIGENCE

Here are our speakers of the workshop

Speaker 9

Phil Weir

Director, F&T

Speaker 2

Vasilis Naserentin

Lead software architect, DTCC, Chalmers University

Speaker 3

Lidia Vitanova

Experienced Researcher, GATE Institute

Speaker 4

Mariya Pantusheva

Experienced Researcher, GATE Institute

Speaker 5

Peter Hristov

Experienced Researcher, GATE Institute

Speaker 6

Stelios Krinidis

Assistant Professor, Democritus University of Thrace

Speaker 7

Asimina Dimara

Senior ICT Engineer, ITI

Speaker 10

Orfeas Eleftheriou

Unreal Engine Developer, Chalmers University

Speaker 8

Kaloyan Karamitov

City Living Lab Manager, GATE Institute

Speaker 9

Radostin Mitkov

Junior Researcher, GATE Institute

Speaker 10

Emil Hristov

Junior Researcher, GATE Institute

Speaker 9

Stanimira Nikolova

Junior Researcher, GATE Institute

Media Partners

Event Venue

Event venue location info

GATE Institute, Sofia

The forum will be held in the new building of GATE Institute located in the heart of Sofia city, close to the Vitosha mountain.

Hotels

Here are some recommended hotels

Hotel 1

Rosslyn Thracia Hotel Sofia

2.7 kilometers from the Venue