The project BG05M2OP001-1.001-0004 UNITe (Universities for Science, Informatics and Technologies in eSociety) is financed under the Operational Programme "Science and Education for Smart Growth" (SESG OP), priority axis 1 "Research and Technological Development" BG05M2OP001-1.001 "Building and Developing Centres of Excellence", Component 2 "Informatics and Information and Communication Technologies".
Through the SESG OP, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will finance the approved budget amounting to BGN 29 781 883.
The partner Universities are academic centres with long history and significant scientific achievements in the field of Informatics and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT):
- Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski";
- Technical University of Sofia;
- Angel Kanchev University of Rousse;
- University "Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov "Bourgas
- University of Shumen "Bishop Konstantin Preslavski".
The research activities of the UNITe are divided into 9 work packages, and for each of them a coordinating institution is defined. These packages include "Big Data Infrastructure as a Service"; "Big Data Software Services"; "Innovative Mathematical Methods and Models in the Digital World"; "Big Data Systems for Analysis and Virtualization in a Real-time"; "Virtualization, Digitization and Prototyping"; "Intelligent Cyber-Physical Systems"; "Smart and Sustainable Cities"; “Factories of the Future” and “Big Data in the Natural Sciences”.
One of the project's activities is to create conditions and prerequisites after the end of the project, the infrastructure to be used by the industry for the commercialization of the scientific results and for the creation of spin-off and start-up enterprises. In addition to the provided access to the distributed research infrastructure, the digital hub and services offered to businesses and public organisations will be an additional source of medium- and long-term funding, ensuring sustainability in the development of the Centre.