Deputy prime minister and economy minister Alexander Pulev met the founder of the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT), professor Martin Vechev, and the institute's executive director, engineer Borislav Petrov, the economy ministry said. The three talked about the next steps for INSAIT and new directions the institute could take.
They discussed research and applied work in artificial intelligence and high technology, as well as plans to expand robotics research. They also talked about moving technology into business use, training engineers and specialists, and building closer ties between science and what companies need.
"INSAIT proves Bulgaria can build world-class technology. Our job is to open up new possibilities for the institute's growth and for its work with business and the state. We want scientific research to find real-world use and create high added value for Bulgaria's economy," Pulev said, according to the ministry statement.
He said the state should act as a partner to Bulgarian tech companies and research centres and should make it easier to bring in new solutions faster. "The industrial zone in Dobroslavtsi is a good example of how the state can open up new growth chances for innovative companies and back Bulgarian industry in high-value sectors," the deputy prime minister said.
Pulev, Vechev and Petrov also discussed a joint plan to bring INSAIT's research and technology into government administration. Possible areas include digitising public services, cutting red tape and using technology for better preventive checks.
"INSAIT should be at the heart of Bulgaria's digital transformation. We need a working model that takes the best research done here and puts it to real use — in business, in industry and in government," Pulev added.
The three also talked about building a high-tech base to support research, move technology forward and roll out new solutions. They agreed the state, science and business need closer ties so Bulgaria's scientific achievements turn into real gains for the economy and society.
In May, the education ministry said INSAIT, part of Sofia University, ranked first in eastern Europe and in the top four among EU institutions for the number of papers accepted at CVPR 2026 — the world's top conference on computer vision and artificial intelligence. The institute had 17 papers accepted at the event. The ministry said at the time that INSAIT had outranked universities such as Cambridge, Princeton and Yale, as well as every institution from Sweden, Finland, Israel, France, the Netherlands and Spain.