Artificial intelligence is no longer just a topic for conference panels, strategy documents, and big institutional statements. In Bulgaria, the conversation is slowly moving toward something more useful: practical tools that can solve real problems in sectors that affect citizens every day.
A recent specialized panel brought together UDIH, BESCO, the Institute for Economic Policy, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation to discuss the adoption of artificial intelligence in the utilities and public service sector. The event was connected to the presentation of the study “The Environment for AI Adoption in the Public and Private Sector in Bulgaria,” prepared by the Institute for Economic Policy.
The discussion focused on one of the biggest challenges in digital transformation: how public institutions, technology companies, and experts can work together without turning innovation into another slow administrative process.
The missing link between institutions and technology companies
Mario Milev, Executive Director of BESCO, highlighted the role of the business ecosystem in supporting innovation in the public sector. He also pointed to the need for stronger collaboration between administration, the startup community, and established companies.
According to the discussion, Bulgaria needs a more open environment where technology companies can present and implement solutions for institutions more easily. This is not just about adopting new software. It is about changing the way institutions test, understand, and use new tools.
The panel also included Boris Rangelov and Eng. Ilian Milev, who presented examples of administrative barriers that delay innovation in institutions. They also showed practical AI solutions that could improve everyday processes in the sector.
A live demo, not just another AI conversation
One of the most interesting parts of the event was the live demonstration of a working platform for citizen reports. The solution included a user interface for submitting signals and an integrated operator panel where reports could be tracked, updated, and managed in real time.
This was the strongest point of the panel. Instead of speaking only about the potential of AI, the participants showed how modern tools can be used to create a functional system quickly, without long development cycles, heavy procedures, or complicated implementation processes.
For Bulgaria, this kind of demonstration matters. The country does not need another endless debate about whether AI is important. It needs examples that show where AI can reduce friction, improve public services, and make communication between citizens and institutions more efficient.
The real question is implementation
The initiative by BESCO, UDIH, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Institute for Economic Policy points in exactly that direction. It connects institutions, technology companies, and experts around applicable solutions, not just ambition.
The real question now is whether more public sector organizations will be willing to test such tools, learn from them, and move from pilot conversations to actual implementation.
If Bulgaria wants to take AI seriously, this is where the conversation should be: not only in strategy papers, but in working tools, public services, and real institutional use cases.
Photo: Party House by night, Sofia by Pudelek / Marcin Szala, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
