Rumen Radev: Positioning Bulgaria as a promising destination for high-tech investments in the field of artificial intelligence requires joint actions by institutions, scientific units and business

Positioning Bulgaria as a promising destination for high-tech investments in the field of artificial intelligence requires joint actions by institutions, scientific units and business. This was stated by the Head of State Rumen Radev at the round table on the topic "Bulgaria and the Fifth Industrial Revolution. Opportunities for attracting strategic investors to build artificial intelligence factories and data centers" held today on his initiative. The forum brought together representatives of the executive and local authorities, high-tech business, scientific circles, Bulgarian organizations and companies. Vice President Iliana Yotova also participated in the event.

In his speech, Rumen Radev emphasized that there is a race in the world to build infrastructure and ecosystems for the development of artificial intelligence, which raises the question of Bulgaria's place in this process and our level of ambition. Rumen Radev reminded that Bulgaria has been announced by Euro HPC JU as part of the countries that will build one of the six artificial intelligence factories in Europe and highlighted the efforts of the Institute for Computer Technologies and Artificial Intelligence (INSAIT), Sofia Tech Park and the institutions in achieving this success.

The head of state highlighted the difference in scale, volume and functions between artificial intelligence gigafactories and data centers that Bulgaria is striving to build: the purpose of gigafactories is to train complex artificial intelligence models, which requires much larger infrastructure and communications, including energy consumption and a large volume of water resources for cooling. Bulgaria has great advantages that give us the prospect of attracting such a project, said President Radev, highlighting as such the stable energy system, which also includes nuclear energy, suitable terrains that meet a number of criteria that can accommodate such a project. Among other advantages of our country, Rumen Radev pointed out the water resources, the geographical location, the traditions of our educational system, which can develop the most important thing - personnel.

President Radev also emphasized that the next 2 years are decisive for Bulgaria's positioning in the field of artificial intelligence and noted that large companies in the field of information technology in the United States are already looking for opportunities for further development. "We have the opportunity to attract investments of a completely different generation, under radically different conditions. The problem is whether we will be able to organize ourselves to do so," said the head of state. He also highlighted the strong business in our country, which is building large capacities from renewable energy and green energy and providing opportunities for energy storage, as well as the available terrains. "The issue is in the public-private partnership and we must completely change the image of our country, because in certain cases it is bypassed due to the instilled image of a country with swirling corruption and political instability," said President Radev. According to him, this hinders investments in our country and we must work so that we can get out of this image as soon as possible.

Rumen Radev also emphasized that the round table should not remain just a format for discussion, but should set tasks that, with the joint efforts of the executive and local authorities, the presidential institution, business and education, create a conceptual document that declares the country's will to attract such a strategic investment and the advantages it has for its implementation, and with which all institutions should from now on come out together and separately when meeting with potential partners. "When we have this document, including business, it can attract foreign investors when it knows that the state stands behind this conceptual idea and will support it," the president added. The conceptual document prepared jointly by the executive branch, educational and scientific institutions, Bulgarian business, IT sector, INSAIT and local authorities with clear conditions and parameters of what Bulgaria can provide should be actively presented to investors, countries, businesses.

Rumen Radev also emphasized the unanimity of the representatives of state institutions, local authorities, business ecosystems and education on what Bulgaria has achieved so far, as well as the existence of ambition to build on it. In his words, the question from now on is how to act against the backdrop of the extremely short time window in which global giants are looking for where to create the next gigafactories. The benefit, in the words of Rumen Radev, is not only to attract multi-billion dollar investments, but to take Bulgaria's technological development to a completely different, much higher orbit. We have all the conditions, but the huge challenge is whether our heavy, cumbersome bureaucratic machine will be able to move in order to attract a system that moves at hypersonic speed, that is not driven by political ego and political interests, but by a single criterion – success and money. "Here two completely different attitudes to doing business collide. And this is the big problem and it can only be solved if we maintain a high level of ambition, have political will, unanimity of mind from all players," said Rumen Radev.

"Where large data centers, gigafactories for artificial intelligence are built – these countries and societies will drive the development of humanity, will develop the next generation of technologies, and the others will simply be consumers of these technologies," the head of state emphasized in his speech.

During the forum, Vice President Iliana Yotova made a speech on the topic of European policies in the field of artificial intelligence. According to her, the project to build a gig factory can become a great national idea around which we can unite as a society, because it is extremely important for the development of the country. This discussion is also important because Bulgaria is usually the subject of European policies, Iliana Yotova said, adding that we still lack the ambition of a member state to actively participate in the formation of European policies, and not just implement them.

Vice President Yotova expressed regret that Europe is lagging behind in many areas, one of which is the development of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, Europe produces more regulations than it creates business and production, she pointed out, adding that in 2023 the EU became a pioneer in the world in the field of artificial intelligence regulations, which are due to enter into force in 2026. According to her, the dynamics of the sector create the possibility that by the time this legislation is introduced, it will be infinitely outdated. Iliana Yotova emphasized that the legislation in this area is not meaningless. The Law on Artificial Intelligence, according to her, aims to deal with the risks that technologies hide.

Iliana Yotova also highlighted the EC initiative “gigafactories for artificial intelligence” and reminded that in February this year the EC announced 6 new projects for such factories, including in Bulgaria, for which European and national funding of 485 million euros is provided. She drew attention to the fact that these projects will contribute to strengthening the ecosystem of artificial intelligence at the European level, while simultaneously meeting the needs of each member state. Iliana Yotova also highlighted the 5-year plan published by the EC in January – a competitiveness compass, defining the three main areas for action in the coming years – innovation, decarbonization and security. In the field of innovation, the first and main goal is to overcome the lag, she pointed out, adding that in order to be successful, the EC has proposed the initiatives "gigafactories for artificial intelligence" and "applied artificial intelligence".