Project description
The first AI factory in Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s AI ecosystem faces challenges, including inadequate computing infrastructure, specialised models, governance frameworks, talent development, and cross-sector support. The EU-funded BRAIN PP project aims to establish Bulgaria’s first AI Factory as a national hub for developing and deploying foundation models, strengthening European digital sovereignty. The initiative will create four primary models: A 175-billion-parameter language model (BgGPT) optimised for Bulgarian, supporting government services and cultural heritage preservation; models for industrial robotics targeting manufacturing and logistics (RoboticsBG); vision-language models using Earth observation data (FORSE) for precision agriculture and environmental monitoring; and biomedical models focused on Bulgaria’s healthcare challenges (MEDBG). The project will launch COMPL-AI, a compliance framework aligned with the EU AI Act.
Objective
BRAIN++ will establish Bulgaria's first comprehensive AI Factory, creating a national hub for foundation model development, adaptation, and deployment while strengthening European digital sovereignty through indigenous AI capabilities. This coordinated initiative addresses critical gaps in Bulgaria's AI ecosystem by delivering five interconnected pillars: advanced computing infrastructure, specialized foundation models, robust AI governance frameworks, comprehensive talent development, and cross-sector implementation support.
BRAIN++ will develop four specialized foundation models addressing Bulgaria's unique needs and strategic advantages. BgGPT will pioneer new techniques for low-resource language model development, creating the first comprehensive language model optimized for Bulgarian with 175 billion parameters, enabling natural language applications from government services to cultural heritage preservation. RoboticsBG will establish modular foundation models for industrial robotics with particular emphasis on manufacturing and logistics use cases, accelerating automation adoption among Bulgarian SMEs. FORSE (Foundation for Observation, Recognition, and Sensing Environments) will develop specialized vision-language models incorporating Earth observation data from Bulgaria's aerospace initiatives, enabling applications from precision agriculture to environmental monitoring. MEDBG will focus on biomedical applications, developing foundation models attuned to Bulgaria's specific healthcare challenges and population characteristics.
The project incorporates robust AI governance through COMPL-AI, a comprehensive compliance framework ensuring all developed models adhere to the EU AI Act requirements. This framework includes automated testing protocols for bias detection, transparency mechanisms, and security assessments specifically attuned to the Bulgarian context, establishing a model for responsible AI development within emerging European innovation ecosystems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.7 - Advanced Computing and Big Data
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HORIZON.2.4.5 - Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-EUROHPC-2025-AI-01-IBA
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1784 Sofia
Bulgaria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.