Eighth Robotics Strategy Forum Opens at Sofia Tech Park

Delyan Petrishki, Atanas Malakchiev

Robots presented at the 8th Robotics Strategy Forum, Sofia, September 10, 2026 (BTA Photo/Nikola Uzunov)

Sofia,

10.09.2026 13:36

(BTA)

The Robotics Strategy Forum 2026, an event dedicated to innovation in robotics and autonomous technologies, kicked off on Thursday at Sofia Tech Park under the motto "Innovations are born and developed in Bulgaria." The theme of this 8th edition of the high-tech event is "Renaissance of Bulgarian Industry: Engineering, Robotics, and AI – Bulgaria’s New Role," with Japan serving as this year’s partner country.

The organizers of the Robotics Strategy Forum 2026 include the Professional Association of Robotics, Automation and Innovations (PARAi), the Bulgarian Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics (BASEL), the Mechatronics and Automation Cluster, the Bulgarian Branch Chamber – Machine Building, and the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA).

Speaking at the forum's opening, BSMEPA Secretary General Yoanna Tsenova said: "The future is not something we wait for; it is something we build here and now." In her words, the forum is organized with the very clear goal to bring together Bulgarian engineering genius, the business community, entrepreneurs, the scientific community, institutions, and investors.

In her address, she highlighted BSMEPA's support for events and sectors that - in her words - generate change for the Bulgarian economy and drive the country's development, specifically pointing to the mechatronics, electronics, machine building, and aviation sectors.

In his opening speech, Ivan Goychev, Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality for Digitalization and Information Systems, emphasized the growing importance of the interaction between systems and robots. He predicted that in less than a year, the focus would shift specifically toward autonomous, interacting systems - and toward collaboration between individual robots, as well as between robots and humans.

In his welcoming remarks, Japanese Ambassador to Bulgaria Chikahisa Sumi highlighted the established close cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan in the fields of robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence, as well as the potential to deepen ties in the area of physical AI, a technology he described as no longer confined to the digital realm but operating autonomously within the physical world.

The Robotics Strategy Forum 2026 programme covers topics such as industrial AI, robotics, automation, aviation, electronics, 3D printing, and the development of Bulgarian manufacturing. Over 50 innovative companies will participate in the event's exhibition zone. The event also features the specialized Additive Days 2026 zone, dedicated to additive manufacturing and the practical applications of 3D technologies in industry, science, and education.

/MR/