Bulgaria’s AI Development Concept (2020–2030)

Bulgaria’s “Concept for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in Bulgaria until 2030” is a strategic framework aligning with the European Union’s digital transformation objectives​. It envisions ‘Artificial intelligence for smart growth and a prosperous democratic society‘, positioning AI as a driver of economic competitiveness and quality of life​. The document defines a national vision for 2030 in which Bulgaria has a high-tech, efficient, and sustainable AI ecosystem. By that time, the country aspires to boast world-class research, technology transfer, home-grown AI products and services, and widespread deployment of AI, big data, and robotics solutions​.

This vision highlights excellent R&D achievements, intensive international cooperation, a highly educated workforce, a successful IT industry, and a legal framework for human-centric AI that respects fundamental rights – all combining to foster innovation in every sector and improve citizens’ quality of life​.

In short, Bulgaria sees AI as a catalyst for smart growth and societal prosperity, echoing the EU’s concept of “reliable” (trustworthy) AI that advances technology in tandem with ethical and legal safeguards​

Strategic goals and objectives

To realise its vision, Bulgaria’s AI Concept lays out a main goal and a set of strategic objectives for the coming decade. The overarching goal is to focus national efforts on developing and implementing AI systems by building up research, expert, business, and governance capacities​. This goal is closely linked with Bulgaria’s broader development strategy ‘Bulgaria 2030,’ meaning AI is expected to play a key role in achieving national priorities in science, education, industry, e-government, agriculture, and healthcare​.

​In service of the main goal, the concept defines six strategic goals to guide AI development and adoption by 2030:

1. Modern infrastructure for AI: Provide cutting-edge communications infrastructure (e.g. nationwide gigabit connectivity) and scientific facilities to support AI and next-generation digital technologies​. This includes building efficient cloud and data storage/exchange centers (aligned with the European Cloud infrastructure) to ensure researchers and innovators have the necessary digital backbone​.
2. Education and skills: Develop an advanced education system and lifelong learning programs to cultivate AI talent​. This goal focuses on updating curricula, expanding AI-related training, and addressing the skills gap so that the workforce can develop and use AI effectively.
3. Research and innovation capacity: Strengthen R&D and technology transfer in AI and related fields​. Bulgaria aims to support centers of excellence, encourage scientific collaboration, and boost funding for AI research to achieve scientific excellence and ensure new knowledge moves from labs to industry.
4. Data and digital resources: Unlock the potential of data as a key raw material for AI development​. This involves improving data infrastructure, promoting open data and data sharing (in line with European Data Space initiatives), and ensuring organisations can leverage big data for AI solutions.
5. AI Integration in key sectors: Stimulate innovation by introducing AI-based solutions across priority sectors of the economy and public services​. The goal is to accelerate Industry 4.0, smart agriculture, e-health, intelligent transport, e-government, and other areas through practical AI applications, prototypes, and deployments.
6. Trustworthy AI and regulation: Build public trust in AI by establishing a legal and ethical framework for reliable AI development and use​. Bulgaria intends to create regulations and standards in harmony with EU principles so that AI systems are human-centric, secure, and rights-respecting​. This includes ethical guidelines, data protection, cybersecurity measures, and oversight mechanisms to ensure AI is developed responsibly.

Each of these strategic goals is supported by specific objectives and measures (detailed in the concept) that collectively aim to position Bulgaria as an active participant in the global AI landscape by 2030.

Key policy directions and initiatives

The Concept outlines several policy directions and initiatives as priority action areas to enable AI development. These align with the strategic goals and provide a roadmap for implementation:

• Building AI infrastructure: Developing a reliable digital infrastructure is a foundational priority. Bulgaria plans to invest in high-speed connectivity, national cloud platforms, and big data storage and processing facilities​. This includes creating data centers and computing resources to support AI R&D and public-sector innovation, and ensuring interoperable data exchange (leveraging the European Cloud Initiative and data space frameworks).
• Data as an enabler: Recognising data as “the new oil” for AI, the strategy emphasises improving data availability and quality. Steps include establishing data repositories (including open government data and sector-specific databases), encouraging data sharing between public and private sectors, and adopting standards for data interoperability. A key proposal is for Bulgaria to specialise in the data economy, acknowledging that strong AI outcomes require rich datasets and that the country can carve out a niche in data-driven AI services​.
• Strengthening research & innovation: The government intends to boost support for AI research through funding programs, research centers, and incentives for collaboration. This involves upgrading research infrastructure (labs, supercomputing capacity), supporting AI-focused Centers of Excellence and Competence, and facilitating technology transfer from academia to industry​. Enhanced international R&D cooperation is encouraged to integrate Bulgaria’s scientists into European AI projects and networks, leveraging EU research programs for funding and knowledge exchange​.
• Education and skill development: A major policy direction is to create a strong human capital base for AI. Educational curricula at all levels will be modernised to include AI, data science, and digital skills. The concept calls for expanding AI-related courses in universities, promoting STEM and coding in schools, and implementing lifelong learning and reskilling programs to prepare the current workforce for AI-driven transformation​. Public-private partnerships are envisioned to align academic training with industry needs, and initiatives will target reversing “brain drain” by attracting Bulgarian AI talent back from abroad.
• Support for AI adoption and innovation: The strategy includes measures to foster AI innovation in businesses and the public sector. This means creating funding and tax incentives for AI startups and solutions, supporting pilot projects and testbeds (e.g. at Sofia Tech Park) for AI prototypes, and helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) integrate AI tools​. The concept also highlights strengthening links between research and industry—encouraging businesses to collaborate with research institutions and use AI to increase their competitiveness. By supporting Industry 4.0 adoption, the government aims to spur productivity and create new markets for AI applications.
• Awareness and society: Building societal readiness for AI is another policy direction. The concept stresses raising awareness and building public trust in AI through outreach, education, and transparency​. Plans include public awareness campaigns about AI benefits, forums to engage citizens in dialogue about AI ethics, and showcasing successful AI applications to demystify the technology. By increasing understanding and trust, Bulgaria hopes to ensure broad acceptance of AI innovations and address public concerns (such as job impacts or privacy).
• Ethical and legal framework: To guide the safe development of AI, Bulgaria will establish a regulatory framework aligned with EU and international standards​. This framework will likely incorporate forthcoming EU regulations (such as the EU AI Act) and uphold principles from European human rights law and ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI. The concept explicitly calls for compliance with established international law and fundamental rights in AI deployment​. It references the EU’s human-centric approach – requiring AI systems to be transparent, accountable, and secure – so that citizens and organisations can confidently use AI technologies. Actions under this pillar include developing standards for AI system testing and certification, guidelines for ethical AI design, and adapting legislation to address AI (for example, on data protection, liability, and cybersecurity in AI systems).

These policy directions form a comprehensive approach: invest in infrastructure and data, nurture talent and research, drive innovation and adoption, and ensure ethics and trust. Together, they create an enabling environment for AI while mitigating risks, in line with European best practices​

Bulgaria’s AI ecosystem: Opportunities and challenges (SWOT Analysis)

An important part of the concept is an assessment of Bulgaria’s current AI ecosystem – identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). This analysis provides insight into the country’s starting position and the internal and external factors that will influence AI strategy​. Below is a summary of the SWOT analysis presented in the document:

Strengths

• Established ICT research base: Bulgaria has Centers of Excellence and Competence in information and communication technologies (ICT) and mechatronics, with long traditions in AI and robotics research​. The country boasts internationally recognised scientific output in AI/robotics and a history of strong research talent in these fields​,
• International collaboration: Bulgarian AI researchers participate in global collaborations and maintain partnerships with leading EU and worldwide research centers​. This openness facilitates knowledge exchange and keeps the ecosystem connected to cutting-edge developments.
• Growing tech industry: The high-tech IT and software sector in Bulgaria has grown significantly, supported by competitive labor costs and established traditions in ICT​. A vibrant startup scene is emerging, with many new companies developing or implementing AI solutions in Bulgaria​. This entrepreneurial activity, alongside investments from global firms (e.g. in mechatronics, robotics, microelectronics), is a major asset.
• Improving infrastructure: The country has been enhancing its digital infrastructure, expanding connectivity and supporting digitization across regions​. Initiatives to strengthen informatics education in secondary schools and involvement of IT businesses in education are building a pipeline of future AI talent​.
• Enterprise readiness: Bulgarian enterprises are ready to implement AI​. Early adopters in industry signal a receptiveness to innovation that can be built upon.

Weaknesses

• Human capital drain and funding gaps: A declining number of AI researchers and insufficient funding for academic R&D threaten Bulgaria’s research potential​. The country struggles to retain talent (many scientists are aging or moving abroad) and lacks resources to compete at the forefront of AI research globally. Scientific output in AI is largely stagnant and lags behind other countries that are steadily growing their research publications​.
• Limited R&D investment and internationalisation: Funding constraints limit full use of international cooperation opportunities – Bulgarian research groups are not highly internationalised and have low success in EU research programs, resulting in underutilisation of EU funds​. This indicates a need for better support in obtaining competitive grants and forming international projects.
• Regional disparities: The AI and tech ecosystem is unevenly distributed across regions. Talent and companies concentrate in Sofia and a few hubs, while other areas have few scientists or IT firms​. This imbalance means certain regions lack the capacity to participate in AI innovation, hindering inclusive growth.
• Weak academia-industry links: Connections between research institutions and businesses are underdeveloped, and mechanisms for knowledge transfer (commercialising research results) are not effective​. This impedes the translation of Bulgarian scientific expertise into marketable AI products and services.
• Innovation output: Bulgaria currently produces few globally significant innovations or original high-tech products​. The innovation ecosystem is still maturing, with limited high-impact outcomes in AI so far. Moreover, the general population’s digital skills are relatively low, as is the level of digitalization among SMEs, which could slow the diffusion of AI in the economy​.

Opportunities

• Digital transformation wave: AI offers Bulgaria a chance to leapfrog in the digital revolution, transforming public administration, industry, healthcare, and more with intelligent solutions​. There is an unprecedented opportunity to modernise services and improve efficiency by adopting AI across sectors (e.g. smart government, automated industrial processes, telemedicine).
• Strong European support: The European Union’s commitment to AI is a major boon. There is solid EU support for AI and robotics R&D through strategic documents, dedicated funding programs, and collaborative initiatives​. EU policies provide a basic legal and ethical framework and promote sharing of best practices, all of which Bulgaria can leverage as a member state. This external support can amplify national efforts (e.g. access to Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme, and participation in EU-wide data spaces).
• Reforms and oolicy momentum: Domestically, there is a policy momentum to address structural issues. The government has signaled intent to increase national funding for science and innovation, implement structural reforms in research management, and introduce new funding models (project-based financing, performance-based funding). If sustained, these reforms can strengthen the innovation ecosystem and create a more conducive environment for AI development.
• Education and Talent Initiatives: Bulgaria has a vision for overhauling education and training between 2021–2027, including lifelong learning and reskilling programs. This presents an opportunity to produce the skilled workforce needed for AI – through modernised curricula, coding and STEM promotion, and vocational retraining in digital skills. Additionally, a recent trend of young high-tech professionals returning to Bulgaria (“brain gain”) can be harnessed to boost the local talent pool​.

Threats

• Lack of consensus and urgency: A significant risk is insufficient political will or consensus for bold reforms​. If stakeholders cannot agree on and commit to radical changes (in education, governance, investment) needed to build a high-tech society, progress in AI could stall. Incremental or fragmented reforms – investing in isolated projects without scale or coherence – would yield limited results​.
• Slow commercialisation: Bulgaria faces the danger of innovations not reaching the market in time. Slow and inefficient commercialisation of AI R&D means foreign products could dominate the market, leaving local research unused. The window of opportunity to capitalise on Bulgarian AI research could close if deployment remains too sluggish.
• Talent shortages: There is a threat of not developing a critical mass of AI professionals in the coming years​. If the education system and training programs fail to rapidly produce (or attract) enough qualified specialists, research labs, companies, and startups will face severe talent gaps. Similarly, inadequate retraining mechanisms for workers displaced or needing new skills could hamper AI adoption and widen skill inequalities​. Bulgaria also competes with other countries for AI experts; failure to retain domestic talent or attract foreign specialists could exacerbate the skills shortfall​.
• Data and resource gaps: AI development could be constrained by a delay in accumulating large, high-quality datasets for training AI models​. In areas like the public sector, if data collection and sharing initiatives lag (for example, creating big data resources or digitizing records), it will be difficult to build advanced AI services. This, along with potential underinvestment in computing infrastructure, could cause Bulgaria to fall further behind leading countries in AI capability.

Bulgaria’s AI ecosystem has notable strengths to build on (strong ICT foundations, talent, and industry growth) and opportunities (EU backing and reform momentum), but it must overcome significant weaknesses (funding, talent drain, weak tech transfer) and guard against threats (slow reform, talent and data deficits). The Concept uses this SWOT analysis to shape strategies that leverage strengths and opportunities (e.g. EU support, returning talent) while addressing weaknesses and threats (e.g. increasing R&D funding, improving education and data infrastructure)​

Sectoral impact and priority areas for AI implementation

Given finite resources, the Bulgarian strategy identifies priority sectors and application areas where AI development should be focused for maximum impact. Rather than trying to do everything at once, the concept suggests concentrating on domains that can drive economic growth or public benefit, align with Bulgaria’s strengths, and attract investment. An Interdisciplinary Working Group will be formed to map the state of various sectors (regulations, Industry 4.0 readiness, innovation capacity, etc.) and to develop a detailed Action Plan for short-, medium-, and long-term AI implementation up to 2030​.

​A fundamental recommendation is that Bulgaria specialise in the data-driven aspects of AI (the “data economy”), rather than attempting to become a leader in AI hardware or heavy industry, given the lack of a critical mass of large AI companies in the country​.

This aligns with European trends where data is central to AI progress, and the EU’s policy of becoming a world leader in data-driven economy​.

The Concept outlines several key sectors and thematic areas for AI application, providing examples of how AI could transform each. Priority areas mentioned include:

• Software and IT industry: The software sector is highlighted as a cornerstone for AI development in Bulgaria. It’s a steadily growing part of the economy and a major exporter, with high salaries and potential to retain/bring back highly skilled workers​. AI can both enhance software development processes and be embedded into software products. For instance, Bulgarian researchers and companies are exploring using AI to automate coding and software testing (sometimes termed “Software 2.0”)​. At the same time, AI opens new product avenues for the software industry, such as intelligent development tools, AI-driven cybersecurity systems (for threat detection and prevention), natural language processing solutions tailored to the Bulgarian language, real-time image recognition software, and autonomous systems control​. By developing AI-enhanced software and platforms, Bulgaria’s tech industry can increase its global competitiveness and support AI adoption in all other sectors​.
• Public administration (e-Governance): AI presents opportunities to improve government services and administrative operations. The concept notes that Bulgaria already has qualified specialists and experience with various AI technologies in the public sector, but usage is still limited. There is scope to expand and deepen AI use in public services – for example, through chatbots for citizen inquiries, AI-assisted decision support for public officials, predictive analytics for public policy, and automation of routine tasks to increase efficiency. Embracing AI in e-government can streamline processes, reduce corruption (via more transparent decision-making), and enhance services like tax administration, social services targeting, and smart city management​. Building on existing digital government initiatives, AI can help deliver more personalised and responsive public services.
• Education: The rapid move toward digital and remote learning (especially accelerated by recent global trends) makes AI in education a high-impact area. The concept emphasises developing AI applications for e-learning and educational support​. For example, AI could enable the creation of engaging learning materials using virtual or augmented reality and gamification​. Intelligent tutoring systems can personalise learning pathways for students, adapting content and pace to individual needs​. AI can also assist teachers by analysing students’ attention, emotions, and performance in real time (especially in remote settings), providing feedback or early warning when a student struggles​. Such tools can improve learning outcomes and make education more adaptive. By prioritising AI in education, Bulgaria aims to not only improve its own educational system but also create solutions that could be exported to the global e-learning market.
• Healthcare and medicine: Healthcare is identified as a priority sector where AI can deliver transformative benefits. The concept, in line with EU priorities, lists multiple use-cases for AI in healthcare: supporting clinical decision-making (e.g. helping doctors choose treatments for a patient), managing health data exchange (including cross-border interoperability of medical records), optimising hospital logistics (like scheduling and resource allocation), enabling robotic surgery, improving diagnostics such as tumor detection in medical images, and aiding care for the elderly and people with disabilities​. In Bulgaria, many of these applications are still in early stages – for instance, efforts are underway to digitize and aggregate patient records and medical images, which is a prerequisite for advanced AI analytics. The document notes that while basic e-health systems exist (for health records, insurance billing, etc.), the lack of a unified national e-health framework and interoperability has hindered progress in AI-driven healthcare solutions​. By prioritising healthcare, Bulgaria seeks to develop AI tools for diagnostics, telemedicine, and healthcare management that can improve patient outcomes and efficiency. However, significant work is needed to standardise health data, integrate systems, and build trust among medical professionals and patients for AI in healthcare​.
• Intelligent agriculture: Agriculture (including plant cultivation and animal husbandry) is another key area for AI implementation, especially given Bulgaria’s traditional agricultural sector. The concept points out that Bulgaria already meets many prerequisites for “smart agriculture” – such as widespread connectivity in rural areas, available cloud data platforms, and local expertise to maintain complex machinery​. AI can enable precision agriculture through the creation of complex systems merging the virtual and physical worlds on farms​. For example, AI-driven remote sensing and IoT sensors can monitor soil quality, water usage, and crop growth in real time​. Machine learning models can analyse sensor data and satellite images to help farmers predict yields, detect plant diseases early, and make data-driven decisions on fertilisation or irrigation​. Robotics and automation can take over repetitive or dangerous farm tasks – such as robotic weeders, harvesters, or drones for spraying – demonstrating the benefits of automating labor-intensive processes​. Different AI technologies (deep learning, intelligent agents, computer vision, etc.) would be integrated into these agricultural systems alongside IoT and big data analytics​. The concept suggests developing pilot projects of smart farms that can serve as reference models to be scaled across regions​. By doing so, Bulgaria can increase agricultural productivity and sustainability (e.g. using less water and chemicals) and support rural development through technology​.
• Ecology and environment: AI is seen as a valuable tool for environmental monitoring and management. The integration of AI in ecology can greatly improve data analysis and the quality of environmental observations​. Potential applications include continuous monitoring of air and water quality, using machine learning to predict environmental changes, and responding faster to natural hazards. The concept describes scenarios such as AI systems for early detection of water pollution or risks of drought in water bodies, which would enable proactive measures to protect water resources​. Likewise, AI could help identify flood risks sooner, allowing authorities to issue warnings and prepare timely responses. Another example is protecting forests: AI, combined with drones and sensors, can detect signs of wildfires, pest infestations, or illegal logging in real time​. By processing satellite imagery and on-the-ground sensor data, AI can alert rangers or emergency services to threats much faster than traditional methods. Overall, this priority area aligns with Bulgaria’s need to manage its natural resources and disaster risks more effectively, and it ties into global and European efforts to use digital technology in fighting climate change. AI-driven environmental solutions would also strengthen Bulgaria’s contribution to the European Green Deal goals.

In addition to the above, the Concept acknowledges that virtually every sector that is undergoing digitalization is a potential user of AI, from manufacturing and energy to transportation and finance. However, the choice of national priority sectors needs to be periodically re-evaluated (every 3–5 years) to remain flexible and responsive to technological advances​.

It’s also noted that some high-end AI applications (for example, certain advanced medical AI devices or industrial robots) may enter Bulgaria via imported solutions from global companies, so it may not be efficient to try to develop those domestically​. Instead, Bulgaria’s strategy is to focus on areas where domestic researchers and companies can realistically innovate or adapt AI solutions to local needs. The priority sectors highlighted – software/ICT, public services, education, healthcare, agriculture, environment – represent domains with high impact on economic growth and societal well-being, and where AI implementation can leverage Bulgaria’s existing strengths (like its IT talent, scientific base, or natural assets).

Implementation and governance: Recommendations and future Actions

To turn the AI concept into reality, the document outlines several recommendations and the next steps for implementation, coordination, and funding. These proposals are meant to ensure the strategy is executed in a structured and accountable way:

• Establish a multistakeholder AI working group: The Concept proposes the creation of an Interdepartmental Working Group on AI, initiated by the Council of Ministers​. This body will include representatives from all key stakeholder groups – relevant government ministries and agencies, regional authorities, academia and research institutes, the business community (including industry associations and startups), and non-governmental organisations​. The Working Group’s mandate is to oversee and coordinate the national AI agenda. Its first tasks would be to analyse the current state of the AI sector in Bulgaria in detail, map out existing expertise and initiatives, and then prepare an operational National AI Action Plan / Roadmap​. This Action Plan will translate the Concept’s goals into specific measures with timelines, responsible parties, expected outcomes, and key performance indicators​. Essentially, the Working Group will drive implementation by ensuring all stakeholders work together and by regularly updating the plan as needed.
• Clear roles and shared responsibilities: Implementation of the AI strategy is recognised as a horizontal effort cutting across many sectors. The Concept recommends that responsibility be shared among a wide array of government institutions, each leading in their domain of expertise​. For example, the Ministry of Transport, IT and Communications would co-lead on digital infrastructure; the Ministry of Education and Science on AI education and research; the State e-Government Agency on public sector AI solutions; the Ministry of Economy on innovation and SME support; the Ministry of Health on e-health initiatives; Ministry of Agriculture on smart farming, and so forth, including agencies for innovation and SMEs​. All these bodies will need to coordinate their policies and investments under the unified AI roadmap. Moreover, regional authorities (municipalities and districts) are called upon to develop their own local plans for AI, establishing regional units to promote AI adoption and share information at the local level​. This multi-level governance approach ensures national strategies are adapted to regional needs and that innovation is not confined only to Sofia. Involving diverse stakeholders from government, academia, and industry in decision-making is intended to create buy-in and leverage collective expertise.
• Monitoring and coordination mechanisms: To track progress and maintain accountability, the Concept proposes setting up a coordination and monitoring structure. Specifically, it suggests a Coordinating Council or Body appointed by the Council of Ministers to monitor implementation of AI-related activities across different sectors and regions​. This body would include representatives of all stakeholder groups (similar to the Working Group) and establish a mechanism for coordination at strategic, policy, and technical levels​. In practice, this means the council would regularly review the execution of the AI Action Plan, measure results against the defined indicators, and resolve inter-agency issues. It would also likely produce periodic progress reports and update the roadmap in response to new developments or if targets are not being met. By instituting formal monitoring, the government aims to ensure the AI strategy remains on track and adapts over the 2020–2030 period.
• Sustainable funding: Implementing an AI strategy requires significant and sustained investment. The Concept underscores that sustainable funding is crucial to strengthen Bulgaria’s AI research and innovation capacity and to participate in Europe’s ambitious AI initiatives​. It notes a recommendation by the EU’s High-Level Expert Group on AI that meaningful, long-term funding for AI R&D (including large collaborative projects rather than many small ones) is needed to stay competitive and address societal challenges​ – a recommendation that applies equally to Bulgaria. The document points out that the European Commission plans to increase combined public and private AI investments to at least €20 billion per year over the next decade​, and Bulgaria should tap into this wave of funding. The strategy thus calls for diverse funding sources to be mobilised in a coordinated way: the state budget, EU Structural and Cohesion Funds, and major EU programs like Horizon 2020/Europe and Digital Europe, as well as the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and other international programs. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and private sector investments are also to be actively pursued​. The idea is to blend funds from multiple channels to finance different components of the AI ecosystem – basic research (through education and science ministry grants and the national Research Fund)​, applied research and innovation (via the new State Agency for Research and Innovation and the National Innovation Fund), digital infrastructure and skills programs (via EU-funded operational programs for Education and for Innovation/Digitalization)​f, and even regional innovation projects (through local clusters like Sofia Tech Park / Sofia “City of Knowledge” initiatives). By optimising the use of these funding sources and ensuring they complement each other, Bulgaria aims to finance the necessary infrastructure, data resources, talent development, R&D projects, and pilot deployments of AI​. The Concept emphasises efficient allocation and spending of funds, with strategic planning to avoid fragmentation – meaning investments should be targeted at achieving the Concept’s priorities rather than scattered thinly​. This strategic investment approach is intended to create tangible momentum in AI development and help Bulgaria quickly catch up to European frontrunners in AI.

European and international alignment

Bulgaria’s AI Concept is deeply informed by and aligned with European and international AI policy frameworks. From the outset, the document stresses consistency with EU strategies: it explicitly references European Commission documents that position AI as a key driver of Europe’s digital transformation and competitiveness​. The strategy embraces the EU’s vision of “trustworthy AI”, where technological progress is accompanied by strong legal and ethical measures to ensure safety, security, and respect for fundamental rights​. In fact, Bulgaria’s vision of human-oriented AI and its commitment to rights-based development directly mirror the principles set out by the EU’s High-Level Expert Group on AI and the forthcoming EU AI regulation (which emphasises transparency, accountability, and ethics in AI). The concept notes that European approaches to AI seek to create a unique “ecosystem of trust” in which reliability becomes a competitive advantage for AI products​, and Bulgaria’s strategy is built on the same foundation.

European policy instruments and initiatives are repeatedly cited as guiding lights for Bulgaria’s plans. For example, the concept aligns with the EU Coordinated Plan on AI (2018), which calls for member states to work together to avoid fragmented efforts​. It also connects with the Digital Europe Programme (2021–2027), under which the European Commission invests in digital capacities like AI, data, and supercomputing​.

The Bulgarian concept identifies Digital Europe as a source of support for AI infrastructure and applications (indeed, the EU plans within Digital Europe include funding AI testbeds, data platforms, and skills development, which Bulgaria intends to utilise). The strategy also echoes the European emphasis on creating common European Data Spaces – large pools of data accessible across the EU for AI training – acknowledging that Bulgaria must contribute to and benefit from these shared data ecosystems​/

For instance, the concept mentions integrating Bulgarian data (including possibly a Bulgarian health data space) into European efforts, and points to the need for standards and interoperability so that Bulgarian AI solutions can plug into EU-wide platforms​. Another clear influence is the set of European values and laws. The Concept explicitly references compliance with international and European law, including human rights conventions​.

This means Bulgaria’s AI framework will be grounded in respecting human dignity, freedoms, privacy, and non-discrimination, following documents like the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) for data privacy. The strategy’s ethical dimension is also aligned with the OECD AI Principles and UNESCO’s AI recommendations (even if not cited by name, the themes of human-centered values, fairness, transparency, and accountability are common). By anchoring its AI policy in these international norms, Bulgaria not only ensures legal consistency with future EU AI regulations but also builds trust that its AI systems will be safe and ethical by design.

On the research and funding side, the concept looks to EU research programs such as Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe. It quotes the EU’s AI expert group on the importance of funding large-scale AI research collaborations to prevent brain drain to other continents​.

This reflects a strategy to participate in European AI research networks and attract European investments. Bulgaria intends to collaborate with other member states on cross-border AI projects (for example, through joint research centers, or by joining initiatives like the European HPC network for supercomputing). The document also notes the European Commission’s ambition to ramp up AI investment to €20 billion annually, indicating Bulgaria’s intent to “rapidly accede to ambitious European initiatives” in AI​.

In practice, this means Bulgaria will align its national projects to qualify for EU co-financing and will adopt standards that allow integration with European AI assets (like the European Cloud Infrastructure and AI-on-demand platform).

Finally, the strategy is mindful of global AI trends and competition. The emphasis on data and niches suggests Bulgaria is looking at where it can be competitive internationally. It acknowledges that some AI solutions will be imported from global leaders (U.S., China, etc.), so Bulgaria should focus on areas where it can develop expertise (such as localised AI solutions, or leveraging EU’s collective strength). The involvement of international companies and investors in Bulgaria’s AI ecosystem is seen positively (as reflected in the SWOT Strengths: presence of world-leading companies investing locally)​.

By aligning with EU frameworks, Bulgaria also benefits from the EU’s collective stance in global AI governance, ensuring that it is part of shaping international norms (for example, through European representation in ISO/IEC AI standards efforts or in GPAI – the Global Partnership on AI).