THE FINAL EVENT OF THE PLOUTOS PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER 6 IN BRUSSELS AND ONLINE

The PLOUTOS project is coming to an end, and the final conference will be held on December 6, 2024, in Brussels.

This project supports third-country nationals with financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and integration support!

At the final conference, you will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from European institutions and organizations dedicated to social and financial inclusion. Exchange best practices and see how you can contribute to building a more inclusive society.

You can join the event online after registering here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=zhvpK3luNk-VWu2io9A1yJZN7IAw1lBLkD5AoJ7P4TVUMThORkEzVUVQT01KMFRQMlRCRDRZVU4wQy4u

The conference agenda can be viewed here:

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PLOUTOS is implemented with the support of the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

SOFIA SHOWCASED AS AN AI FRONTRUNNER AT THE 24th CoR ECON CONFERENCE

With the recent adoption of the Artificial Intelligence Act, public administrations at all levels will increasingly need to invest resources into the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), enabling them to provide public services to citizens more effectively and efficiently. Contrary to the commonly held opinion, evidence has shown that the use of AI in the EU public sector is not lagging behind its use in other sectors. In addition, the use of generative and predictive AI has increased throughout 2023. Since Open AI launched their large language model Chat GPT at the end of 2022, the general public has become aware of the practical use of AI, leading to an AI boom which has by now made AI central to the digital transformation of society, and an EU priority.

In order to contribute to the central discourse on the use of AI by public administrations at subnational level, the European Committee of the Regions and its Commission for Economic Policy organized a conference hosted by the city of Tampere, Finland, on October 25, 2024, entitled “Digital transformation as a changemaker for cities, companies and local and regional economy”. It aimed to examine EU actions to boost the use of AI by cities and regions. The conference also seeked to facilitate linking up engaged cities and regions and offer recommendations on how politicians and practitioners could pool resources to propel the integration of AI across EU cities and regions.

Four early adopter cities and regions were invited to showcase inspiring initiatives supporting the adoption and rolling out of AI in public administrations at local level – Sofia, Munich, Tampere and the Galicia region. Sevdalina Voynova presented the experience of Sofia Municipality as a forerunner in using AI for on-demand public transport, allowing to bridge the widening digital gap in AI use. The pilot was designed and implemented in the framework of INNOAIR project, funded by the Urban Innovative Action initiative.

The experience and lessons learned from the showcased cities and regions added to the Committee of the Regions opinion on Challenges and Opportunities of AI in thePublic Sector: Defining the role of regional and local authorities.

NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE AGED 50+ IN THE JOB MARKET

The initiative to facilitate easier access to the job market is implemented by the Sofia Development Association and the Young Talents Bulgaria platform.

On October 25, 2024, the opening event of the new initiative "Career Opportunities for People 50+" by the Sofia Development Association and Young Talents Bulgaria took place at SofiaLab. The initiative aims to provide people in this age group with access to targeted skill acquisition training, as well as career and psychological counseling.

At the opening event, key speakers outlined the development plan for the initiative. Ekaterina Yordanova, Chair of the Sofia Development Association Board, emphasized the importance of supporting pre-retirement age individuals, stating that "there needs to be a link between institutions, people, and employers to fully utilize the potential of this group. Two key steps are necessary to achieve these goals—education and targeted thematic training."

Following this, Snezhina Gabova from the Sofia Development Association and Georgi Parvanov from Young Talents Bulgaria presented the main goals and phases of the "Career Opportunities for People 50+" initiative. “The world is changing, and so is Bulgaria. Fifty is the new thirty. Our goal is to make age irrelevant in the job market by 2030,” Parvanov shared.

Over the course of one year, the training program will support at least 50 people through courses focused on digital and green skills, personal development, and professional support.

Smilen Valov, Executive Director of the Employment Agency, noted that the agency offers numerous tools to support the employment of people aged 50+. "People over 50 are the future of the labor market. This group has discipline and experience, making them highly desirable to employers," he said.

During the business collaboration panel, Plamen Vasilev, Director of Human Resources at Holcim Bulgaria, reinforced the importance of including older employees in the modern workforce. He added that this group has tremendous potential, as people over 50 are disciplined, goal-oriented, and loyal to their employers.

Those interested in the program can learn more on the Synclusive Project website: [https://synclusiveproject.eu/?p=4222](https://synclusiveproject.eu/?p=4222).

The campaign is part of the broader framework of the Synclusive project, which aims to promote the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the labor market. The project is funded by the Horizon Europe research and innovation program of the European Union.

   
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101094526

SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION TEAM PARTICIPATES IN INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INCLUSION IN CULTURAL EVENTS

From October 17-20, 2024, the SDA team actively participated in the “Environmental Sustainability in Cultural Events” workshop in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Organized by ACAJ in the framework of the Kultinclusion project co-financed by EC, the event focused on key topics like environmental sustainability, cultural inclusion, and the role of European regulations in shaping eco-friendly, inclusive events.

Day 1 covered sustainability in cultural events, highlighting water usage, recycling, and building regulations. Expert speaker Antonio Figueroa Abrio led the discussion on environmental challenges, while presentations by architects Nicolás Maldonado Fernández and Rocío González de Lara Gámiz explored sustainability in cultural buildings.

Day 2 emphasized inclusion, particularly for people with disabilities, with contributions from speakers like Lola Vallespi and Concepción Pérez Puyana. The discussion centered on accessibility and government responsibilities for creating inclusive cultural spaces.

Day 3 concluded with networking and an exchange of best practices among local associations. This event fostered cross-border collaboration and innovation in creating sustainable and inclusive cultural events.

The Sofia Development team gained valuable insights into best practices for environmentally sustainable and inclusive event management, strengthening their capacity to implement these strategies in future projects.

The KULTInclusion project is funded by the Erasmus+ program, priority area KA220-ADU - Cooperation partnerships in adult education.

THE "RISK ASSESSMENT AND VULNERABILITY TO URBAN HEAT ISLANDS IN SOFIA" LOCAL WORKSHOP UNDER THE BE READY PROJECT WAS HELD TODAY AT SOFIALAB

On October 4, 2024, the "Risk Assessment and Vulnerability to Urban Heat Islands in Sofia" workshop took place at SofiaLab. The event brought together experts, representatives from local and national authorities, the Ministry of Environment and Water, research institutions, and civic organizations to discuss the challenges related to climate change, specifically focusing on the issue of urban heat islands in the capital. The seminar was organized by the Sofia Development Association and Sofia Municipality as part of the Be Ready project, aiming to raise awareness and develop strategies to tackle heat effects in urban areas.

The official opening was made by Mrs. Ekaterina Yordanova, Chairperson of the Board of the Sofia Development Association and a City Councilor. "We have just experienced the warmest summer in the last 130 years since temperature measurements and data collection began," Yordanova emphasized.

She shared that Sofia has long been among the leading cities in striving to adapt to changes in a timely manner through appropriate municipal policies and practices. "Measures to counteract urban heat islands include smart urban planning, efficient buildings, alternative mobility, green energy, more greenery and urban water bodies, and data analysis."

Sevdalina Voynova from the Sofia Development Association presented the Be Ready project and its main goals – to assist partner cities in the framework agreement in developing and adopting action plans, to create, test, and validate jointly developed solutions to mitigate the effects of heat islands in cities, and to provide local and regional authorities with scientific research and assessment tools.

Mrs. Tsvetelina Simeonova-Zarkin, Chair of the Program Council of the "Europe" Program and member of the European Committee of Regions, shared that addressing urban heat islands in Sofia is no longer just a matter of long-term planning, but also about protecting the health and well-being of citizens.

"This challenge requires coordinated efforts at the local, national, and European levels. Through a combination of immediate measures and long-term strategies based on the latest scientific data and technological innovations, we can build a more resilient and adaptive city. Let us use this moment of crisis as a catalyst for change. With collective efforts, we can turn Sofia into a model of sustainable urban development in the era of climate change, ensuring a healthier and more comfortable environment for future generations."

Tsonka Harizanova from Sofia Municipality provided more insights on what Sofia is doing in the area of heat islands. Prof. Bernhard Pucher, from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), delivered a presentation on the risk assessment methodology and its four self-assessment tools. He highlighted the aim of the assessment, explained the criteria and indicators to be applied, and provided a detailed guide on tool application. Additionally, he emphasized the significance of data collection in the process.

The next panel focused on the available data and organizing risk assessments for heat islands in Sofia, with contributions from Zornitsa Spasova from the National Center for Public Health and Analyses under the Ministry of Health, Lidia Vitanova from the GATE Institute, and Desislava Todorova from the "100KTrees" project.

The event concluded with a discussion panel featuring Mr. Voysav Todorov, a City Councilor from Sofia Municipality and member of the Board of SDA, Mrs. Ekaterina Yordanova, and Mrs. Tsvetelina Simeonova-Zarkin. They answered participants' questions and presented the tasks that Sofia Municipality has set to address the issue of urban heat islands and mitigate the negative impacts on the city's residents.

The Be Ready project continues its progress with workshops in all partner cities.

Be Ready is an INTERREG Danube Region project co-financed by the European Union.