On November 24, 2022, the Forum “HPC/HPDA/AI Business Services in Bulgaria” took place in the conference hall of Hotel “Vega” in Sofia, organized by the team of the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in the National Competence Center in Bulgaria (EuroCC).
The forum was attended by over 50 representatives from businesses and academic circles. Companies operating in the field of information technology such as DXC Technology Bulgaria, CM2W JSC, Comtech Group Ltd., Progressive BG Group Ltd., Donatics Ltd., Eskom Bulgaria Ltd., and Xiaomi Communications Ltd. actively participated. Companies actively utilizing big data and analytics for their business purposes were also present, including Giga Automata Ltd., Nasekomo AD, Produkt Ltd., Icon Communications Group Ltd., Front Concept Group Ltd., and Reconstruct-F Ltd. Marketing and consulting agencies such as Mate Bulgaria, financial institutions like KBC AD, government institutions such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and professional associations like PARA, KRIB, and BSC were also represented. Online representatives from NCC Italy participated in the forum, welcoming their Bulgarian colleagues and presenting the achievements of the Italian center.
The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Kamenlia Stefanova, the project leader for UNWE. Prof. Stefanova welcomed the participants to the forum and briefly presented the importance of HPC/HPDA/AI technologies for enhancing the competitiveness of Bulgarian businesses. She also highlighted the goals of the European project for establishing the National Competence Center in HPC/HPDA/AI in Bulgaria. The achieved results of the first stage of the project were emphasized, including technology mapping, competency mapping, analysis of business needs, and the development of a set of specific services. In her presentation, Prof. Stefanova outlined the main objectives of the second stage of the project, which will focus on developing partnerships with businesses and the adaptability of HPC/HPDA/AI technologies to the specific needs of business users. In conclusion, addressing the business representatives, Prof. Dr. Kamenlia Stefanova shared, “We are very pleased that you are showing interest in today’s forum. This means that we are ready for the next stage of the project.”
The first part of the forum took the form of a round table discussion on the topic of “Technology Transfer and Business Development.”
Assist. Dr. Vladislava Pacheva from UNWE clarified key questions regarding technology transfer and the protection of technological developments in the field of HPC/HPDA/AI. The analysis presented by Dr. Pacheva regarding the number and dynamics of patent applications in the field of HPC/HPDA/AI (globally and by regions) was of interest to the forum participants, as it demonstrated the penetration level of these technologies.
Assist. Albena Antonova from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” presented her research on the role of universities, platforms, and integrators in the HPC/HPDA/AI domain.
Two presentations focused on practical aspects of contemporary robotics development in Bulgaria: “Application of Collaborative Robots in Industry” by Mr. Georgi Arabadzhiev, co-founder and manager of Giga Automata Ltd., and “Challenges in the Robotics and Automation Sector” by Mr. Kristiyan Mikhailov, a board member of PARA.
The presentation by Ms. Maria Aleksandrova, Head of Innovation Projects and Sustainability at Nasekomo AD, on the role of digital technologies in the development of bio-based and sustainable technologies in agriculture, was followed by numerous questions.
The presentation by Ms. Maria Aleksandrova, Head of Innovation Projects and Sustainability at Nasekomo AD, on the role of digital technologies in the development of bio-based and sustainable technologies in agriculture, was followed by numerous questions.
In the second part of the forum, participants focused on the development of HPC/HPDA/AI services for businesses in Bulgaria. The following researchers and experts shared their studies and experiences:
- Prof. Vladimir Dimitrov from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” discussed the collaboration of EuroCC with industries and the general public.
- Prof. Stanislav Harizanov from IICT-BAS presented “Supercomputer Applications for the Development of Biomedical Products.”
- Mr. Bobi Ivanov from the Ministry of Sports talked about “Facial Recognition and Access Control for Sports Event Facilities.”
- Mr. Nikolay Nikolov from Eskom Bulgaria Ltd. addressed the “Technical Aspects of Building a Big Data System.”
Some successful applications of HPC/HPDA/AI technologies in solving specific problems in various sectors of the economy and society sparked interest and lively discussions. These included:
- “Big Data Analysis for Predicting the Probability of Forest Fires and Visualizing Their Behavior” by Dr. Antoan Shotarov, co-founder and manager of Donatics Ltd., Media Screener Ltd., and Greet BG Ltd.
- “Utilizing HPC and Hybrid Platforms for Processing Large Data Sets in Autonomous Vehicle Management” presented by Ms. Marina Marchovska and Mr. Dimitar Dimitrov from DXC Technologies.
The concluding presentation, “Scientific HPDA/AI Infrastructure at UNWE,” delivered by Prof. Valentin Kisimov from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE), sparked strong interest and discussion among the participants, serving as a summary of the forum’s topics.
Closing the event, Prof. Dr. Kamenlia Stefanova expressed her satisfaction with the business representatives’ interest in the forum and its fruitful work. She also expressed confidence in the future development of collaboration and partnership with business organizations.
