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EPI report highlights Bulgaria’s uneven AI adoption across public and private sectors
The Economic Policy Institute has presented a new report on how AI is being adopted across Bulgaria’s public and private sectors. The study looks at regulation, business uptake, research activity and future scenarios, then turns that analysis into a set of policy recommendations.
AI Report presentation ©Economic Policy Institute
FTS Insights official • For French Tech Sofia, the signal is less about a single announcement and more about market readiness. Bulgaria’s AI conversation is shifting from broad interest to concrete questions of policy, procurement, skills and implementation. That matters for founders, B2B software teams and ecosystem builders in Sofia: when the operating environment becomes clearer, adoption pathways for AI products and partnerships tend to become more visible as well.
Key Takeaways
- Bulgaria’s AI debate is becoming more operational and less purely conceptual.
- Regulation alone will not drive adoption without funding, skills and institutional coordination.
- Public-sector modernization is part of the AI market story, not a separate policy track.
- The report suggests Bulgaria needs a more executable national framework for AI.
Why this matters
- It gives a structured view of Bulgaria’s AI market conditions, not just isolated company activity.
- The report links AI adoption to public-sector capacity, which can shape future demand for local tech providers.
- Its recommendations point to the gap between EU-level regulation and practical implementation in Bulgaria.
- For startups, sandboxes and clearer governance could lower barriers to testing and deployment.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
May 15, 2026
Bulgaria’s AI Adoption Landscape in the Public and Private Sectors
Article Summary
Presented on May 12, 2026, the report “AI Adoption Landscape in the Public and Private Sectors in Bulgaria” was prepared with the support of Konrad Adenauer Foundation Bulgaria. It combines several layers in one publication: the EU and national regulatory context, the state of AI use in Bulgarian public administration and business, the research landscape, future scenarios, and policy directions.
A key message is that Bulgaria’s AI landscape is developing, but without enough coordination. In the public sector, the report describes AI-related efforts as fragmented and largely project-based rather than part of a coherent national approach. In the private sector, it points to slow and uneven adoption, with Bulgaria still trailing the EU average, especially in more advanced applications.
The recommendations are practical rather than abstract. The report calls for an updated national policy framework, a comprehensive AI strategy with a roadmap and funding, stronger cross-sector coordination, more investment in skills, cybersecurity support, and the use of regulatory sandboxes so local startups and businesses can test AI products in a supervised environment.
This makes the publication more than a policy document. It also acts as a market signal about the conditions needed for broader AI deployment in Bulgaria: strategy, institutional capacity, talent development and clearer paths from experimentation to implementation.
Key Highlights
- The Economic Policy Institute presented the report on May 12, 2026.
- The study covers EU and Bulgarian AI regulation, adoption, research activity, scenarios and recommendations.
- It says public-sector AI initiatives in Bulgaria remain fragmented and largely project-based.
- It finds business adoption is still uneven and trails the EU average, especially in advanced applications.
- Recommendations include a national AI strategy, stronger coordination, skills support and regulatory sandboxes.
Takeaway
This is a useful ecosystem checkpoint for Bulgaria. The report suggests the country has real AI potential, but wider adoption will depend on whether policy, skills and institutional execution can catch up with the ambition.
Read the full coverage on Economic Policy Institute(en)
About Economic Policy Institute
EPI is a non-partisan think tank working at the intersection of economy, public policy and global issues with outreach in Bulgaria and the wider CEE region.
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