A hands-on forum for integrating science, software, and society to shape a smarter future.
From June 13 to 15, 2025, Scalefocus proudly hosted the second edition of SofTIS Summer Camp in our Varna office, in partnership with the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IMI–BAS). The event brought together researchers, developers, PhD students, and industry experts for an in-depth exploration of how science and software can work hand in hand to drive real-world innovation.
This year’s program offered a closer look at how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming fields such as youth work, retail, software development, research and healthcare. Projects like AI4YouthWork focused on empowering youth workers to integrate AI tools into their practices, improving outreach, inclusion, and effectiveness. The inAIR initiative addressed a different challenge: closing the AI skills gap for small and medium-sized retailers across Europe through hybrid upskilling programs and practical training resources.
Another highlight came from SI Lab (CNR–ISTI) in Pisa, whose work bridges AI, health, and well-being – showcasing how interdisciplinary research leads to socially impactful technology.
Presentations from Scalefocus focused on applied AI and how research directly informs our engineering and product strategies. We approach AI not just as a technology trend, but as a practical enabler of transformation across industries. As an AI-first company, we empower our clients to adopt AI at scale – across existing products, services, tools, and operations. At the same time, we embed cutting-edge AI tools at every stage of the software development lifecycle. From strategizing and coding to testing and deployment, this AI suite ensures scalable, secure, and efficient delivery across all our By aligning research with real-world needs, we’re helping close the gap between potential and practice – making AI innovation both sustainable and measurable.
Beyond presentations, SofTIS included hands-on sessions and lively panel discussions that tackled key issues: from business-academia collaboration and research infrastructure to PhD training, open science, and the commercialization of research. A dedicated workshop on research methodology offered practical guidance on building scientific careers, understanding the research lifecycle, and developing transferable skills – areas often overlooked but crucial for innovation readiness.
At Scalefocus, we see events like SofTIS as part of a much-needed effort to bridge the gaps between academic research, software development, and business innovation. These connections are vital for making scientific knowledge accessible, actionable, and relevant to today’s most pressing challenges – including AI adoption, sustainability, and digital transformation.
We’re grateful to IMI–BAS and all participants for bringing energy, expertise, and ideas to this year’s edition, and we look forward to continuing to support initiatives that bring research and real-world innovation closer together.
