On April 27, 2025, in the heart of Sofia – under the domes of Largo – the eighth edition of TUES Fest took place, the annual open day of the Technological College "Electronic Systems" (TUES) at the Technical University – Sofia.
Under the motto "IT All Starts Here", the event brought together students, teachers, graduates, parents, representatives of leading IT companies, institutions, and the general public to celebrate the innovations and achievements of TUES – a school with a key role in building the new technological generation of Bulgaria.
During the day, guests had the opportunity to explore over 120 technological projects created by 246 students from grades 8 to 12, as well as to learn about the unique educational model, practical opportunities, and the community that TUES builds.
The projects – from embedded microcontroller systems and robots, through IoT devices and artificial intelligence algorithms, to web and mobile applications, network configurations, hardware prototypes, and many more.
The official program began at 10:00 AM with a ceremonial opening of the eighth edition, in which representatives of the academic leadership of the Technical University – Sofia, teachers from TUES, graduates, partners from the IT industry, students, parents, and visitors participated.
Among the special guests were the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Eng. Tanya Mihaylova; the Deputy Mayor for "Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development", Ivan Goichev; Senior Lecturer, Dr. Veselka Hristova, Director of TUES and Chairman of the Public Council of TUES; TUES alumnus, parent, and Chairman of the Board of AZTUES – Theodor Panayotov; Executive Director of AZTUES and mentor to the students – Kirilka Angelova.
"These days, which are actually like open days for you, are days of an open space to which everyone can join. Anyone who is innovative, who has the desire to develop, and it is very important that you hold them, so that not only is TUES talked about, but TUES shows its face as a leading school in technological education – not only in our city, but in our entire educational system. The TUES model is a model that combines many advantages – the connection with business, the connection with the higher education institution.",
commented Tanya Mihaylova
"The environment you have, the knowledge you can acquire at TUES, the teachers and mentors you have, and access to technologies and Internet knowledge you can use, give you a freedom of imagination with which you can boldly dream of even greater achievements," shared Ivan Goichev
"Dear colleagues, Happy holiday! Thank you for your dedication and the desire with which you inspire our students! Dear friends, graduating students, colleagues from TU, representatives of the IT industry, Happy holiday to you too! Today we together demonstrate how modern, dynamic, and up-to-date education is done. How together with you we prepare the future of our homeland. Dear guests, Dive with us into a sea of excitement, emotions, challenges, friendships, memories. We extend a hand and walk through the years that await a beginner TUES student. Feel the impatience of the eighth graders, the excitement of the ninth graders, the desire to prove themselves among the tenth graders, the knowledge and skills of the eleventh graders, the drive and ambitions of the twelfth graders. Talk to the teachers. Understand how they harness the energy of the young, how a lesson at TUES takes place," said Veselka Hristova.
Theodor Panayotov shared "TUES is an absolutely unique place for our country, I assume for many others as well."
"TUES Fest is a day of achievements, for the simple reason that we can see over 120 projects by students from grades 8 to 12. This is not available anywhere!" commented Kirilka Angelova
Visitors not only observed the projects but also met their creators, heard stories of successes and challenges, and became part of the lively atmosphere of the technology festival. For another year, TUES Fest has become a stage where students showcase not only knowledge and skills but also creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to change the world around them.
TUES Fest 2025 in numbers:
Under the motto "IT All Starts Here", the event brought together students, teachers, graduates, parents, representatives of leading IT companies, institutions, and the general public to celebrate the innovations and achievements of TUES – a school with a key role in building the new technological generation of Bulgaria.
During the day, guests had the opportunity to explore over 120 technological projects created by 246 students from grades 8 to 12, as well as to learn about the unique educational model, practical opportunities, and the community that TUES builds.
The projects – from embedded microcontroller systems and robots, through IoT devices and artificial intelligence algorithms, to web and mobile applications, network configurations, hardware prototypes, and many more.
The official program began at 10:00 AM with a ceremonial opening of the eighth edition, in which representatives of the academic leadership of the Technical University – Sofia, teachers from TUES, graduates, partners from the IT industry, students, parents, and visitors participated.
Among the special guests were the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Eng. Tanya Mihaylova; the Deputy Mayor for "Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development", Ivan Goichev; Senior Lecturer, Dr. Veselka Hristova, Director of TUES and Chairman of the Public Council of TUES; TUES alumnus, parent, and Chairman of the Board of AZTUES – Theodor Panayotov; Executive Director of AZTUES and mentor to the students – Kirilka Angelova.
"These days, which are actually like open days for you, are days of an open space to which everyone can join. Anyone who is innovative, who has the desire to develop, and it is very important that you hold them, so that not only is TUES talked about, but TUES shows its face as a leading school in technological education – not only in our city, but in our entire educational system. The TUES model is a model that combines many advantages – the connection with business, the connection with the higher education institution.",
commented Tanya Mihaylova
"The environment you have, the knowledge you can acquire at TUES, the teachers and mentors you have, and access to technologies and Internet knowledge you can use, give you a freedom of imagination with which you can boldly dream of even greater achievements," shared Ivan Goichev
"Dear colleagues, Happy holiday! Thank you for your dedication and the desire with which you inspire our students! Dear friends, graduating students, colleagues from TU, representatives of the IT industry, Happy holiday to you too! Today we together demonstrate how modern, dynamic, and up-to-date education is done. How together with you we prepare the future of our homeland. Dear guests, Dive with us into a sea of excitement, emotions, challenges, friendships, memories. We extend a hand and walk through the years that await a beginner TUES student. Feel the impatience of the eighth graders, the excitement of the ninth graders, the desire to prove themselves among the tenth graders, the knowledge and skills of the eleventh graders, the drive and ambitions of the twelfth graders. Talk to the teachers. Understand how they harness the energy of the young, how a lesson at TUES takes place," said Veselka Hristova.
Theodor Panayotov shared "TUES is an absolutely unique place for our country, I assume for many others as well."
"TUES Fest is a day of achievements, for the simple reason that we can see over 120 projects by students from grades 8 to 12. This is not available anywhere!" commented Kirilka Angelova
Visitors not only observed the projects but also met their creators, heard stories of successes and challenges, and became part of the lively atmosphere of the technology festival. For another year, TUES Fest has become a stage where students showcase not only knowledge and skills but also creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to change the world around them.
TUES Fest 2025 in numbers:
- 121 projects created by 246 students from grades 8 to 12
- 24 IT companies sponsors
- 6 partners
- 8-member organizing team
- 2 mentors from ATEES
- 24 volunteers
- Over 7500 visitors
The companies that supported TUES Fest 2025 – IT All Starts Here are:
Partners: A1 Bulgaria, Coca-Cola Bulgaria, Corporate Gifts, Green Cherry Cafe, Smartcom, Smart Organic and Largo Sofia.
Alpha sponsors: BOSCH Engineering Center Sofia, DXC Technology, Eleven Ventures, Festo Bulgaria, Global Foundries, GTT, ITGix, M2M Services, SAP Labs Bulgaria, Telelink Business Services and Trading 212;
Beta sponsors: Chaos, Cognyte, Devrix, Haemimont AD, IBM Bulgaria, Ocado Technology, StamSoft and Yettel;
Gamma sponsors: Axles Soft, Nemetschek, Strypes Group and Telebid Pro;
Within the exhibition, an official award ceremony was held, where the best projects from various categories – software, hardware, and computer networks – were recognized. A jury consisting of representatives from the IT industry, media, and faculty evaluated the projects based on innovation, implementation, and applicability.
Who are the winners:
First place:
The winner in the computer networks category is "Kypooo"! The goal of the project is to create interactive cybersecurity training using open-source platforms, primarily KYPO CRP, to educate people at any stage of their development.
The winner in the robotics and embedded microcomputer systems category is "Speakle"! Speakle is a smart glove that enables easy communication between deaf and hearing people by automatically translating gestures into speech and converting speech into text.
The winner in the system programming category is "Q-bit". Q-bit contains a quantum computer simulator, allowing the execution of quantum algorithms on classical hardware, the first of its kind quantum "circuit-like" programming language Q Assembly, and an automatic system for managing dynamic memory for C and C++.
Second places:
In second place in the computer networks category is "GoAlert". The project is a platform for event management in a cloud environment, aimed at monitoring, visualization, and management of alerts from applications running in a Kubernetes cluster. The main goal is to facilitate system administrators in detecting and analyzing problems in real time through centralized visualization, personalized alert rules, and historical storage of alarms.
In second place in the robotics and embedded microcomputer systems category is "Struna". Struna is a system for monitoring correct posture.
Second place in the System Programming category was won by "Learneez"! Learneez is an educational web application that supports students with reading difficulties due to dyslexia in completing their tasks.
Third places:
The top three places in the categories – "Computer Networks", "Robotics and Embedded Microcomputer Systems" and "System Programming" were taken by:
Third place in the Computer Networks category was awarded to "Establishing connectivity between two separate service providers via Inter-AS Option C according to RFC 4364". This project is dedicated to establishing connectivity between two separate service providers via Inter-AS Option C, as defined in RFC 4364. The main goal is to demonstrate how this approach can be applied to ensure secure and efficient communication between the networks of different providers.
Third place in the Robotics and Embedded Microcomputer Systems category was awarded to "Design of a decoder in integrated form". The project presents the design of a 74HC42 decoder in integrated form – a high-speed CMOS decoder that converts 4-bit BCD code into ten active-low outputs. The implementation includes the creation of basic logic elements (OR, NAND, NOT), optimization through DC analysis, and full physical implementation.
In third place in the software category is "Raydar". Raydar is a 3D renderer that uses ray tracing to achieve photorealistic results. Raydar is portable and supports hardware-accelerated path tracing, utilizing the latest features of modern graphics cards.
For the fifth consecutive year, a highly respected media jury had the difficult task of finding the most socially significant project among all 121. Our media jury in the persons of:
Partners: A1 Bulgaria, Coca-Cola Bulgaria, Corporate Gifts, Green Cherry Cafe, Smartcom, Smart Organic and Largo Sofia.
Alpha sponsors: BOSCH Engineering Center Sofia, DXC Technology, Eleven Ventures, Festo Bulgaria, Global Foundries, GTT, ITGix, M2M Services, SAP Labs Bulgaria, Telelink Business Services and Trading 212;
Beta sponsors: Chaos, Cognyte, Devrix, Haemimont AD, IBM Bulgaria, Ocado Technology, StamSoft and Yettel;
Gamma sponsors: Axles Soft, Nemetschek, Strypes Group and Telebid Pro;
Within the exhibition, an official award ceremony was held, where the best projects from various categories – software, hardware, and computer networks – were recognized. A jury consisting of representatives from the IT industry, media, and faculty evaluated the projects based on innovation, implementation, and applicability.
Who are the winners:
First place:
The winner in the computer networks category is "Kypooo"! The goal of the project is to create interactive cybersecurity training using open-source platforms, primarily KYPO CRP, to educate people at any stage of their development.
The winner in the robotics and embedded microcomputer systems category is "Speakle"! Speakle is a smart glove that enables easy communication between deaf and hearing people by automatically translating gestures into speech and converting speech into text.
The winner in the system programming category is "Q-bit". Q-bit contains a quantum computer simulator, allowing the execution of quantum algorithms on classical hardware, the first of its kind quantum "circuit-like" programming language Q Assembly, and an automatic system for managing dynamic memory for C and C++.
Second places:
In second place in the computer networks category is "GoAlert". The project is a platform for event management in a cloud environment, aimed at monitoring, visualization, and management of alerts from applications running in a Kubernetes cluster. The main goal is to facilitate system administrators in detecting and analyzing problems in real time through centralized visualization, personalized alert rules, and historical storage of alarms.
In second place in the robotics and embedded microcomputer systems category is "Struna". Struna is a system for monitoring correct posture.
Second place in the System Programming category was won by "Learneez"! Learneez is an educational web application that supports students with reading difficulties due to dyslexia in completing their tasks.
Third places:
The top three places in the categories – "Computer Networks", "Robotics and Embedded Microcomputer Systems" and "System Programming" were taken by:
Third place in the Computer Networks category was awarded to "Establishing connectivity between two separate service providers via Inter-AS Option C according to RFC 4364". This project is dedicated to establishing connectivity between two separate service providers via Inter-AS Option C, as defined in RFC 4364. The main goal is to demonstrate how this approach can be applied to ensure secure and efficient communication between the networks of different providers.
Third place in the Robotics and Embedded Microcomputer Systems category was awarded to "Design of a decoder in integrated form". The project presents the design of a 74HC42 decoder in integrated form – a high-speed CMOS decoder that converts 4-bit BCD code into ten active-low outputs. The implementation includes the creation of basic logic elements (OR, NAND, NOT), optimization through DC analysis, and full physical implementation.
In third place in the software category is "Raydar". Raydar is a 3D renderer that uses ray tracing to achieve photorealistic results. Raydar is portable and supports hardware-accelerated path tracing, utilizing the latest features of modern graphics cards.
For the fifth consecutive year, a highly respected media jury had the difficult task of finding the most socially significant project among all 121. Our media jury in the persons of:
- Alexander Alexandrov, Pixelmedia
- Svetlin Zhelev, Kaldata
- Savina Grueva, Economy.bg
- Polina Pencheva, Darik Business Review
- Tsvetelina Petrunova, bTV Business News
- Ivaylo Iv. Peev and Albena Aleksieva, Newspaper Technical Vanguard, TU-Sofia
- Mira Stankova, TLL Media
- Erika Shaumyan and Magdalena Ognyanova, Engineer.bg
chose "AtopiCare" as the most socially significant project. This is a mobile application focused on people suffering from atopic dermatitis, who represent 30% of the world's population. Its goal is to facilitate treatment and maintain healthy skin for patients, featuring the following functionalities.
Economy.bg awarded "MedsTracker".
Darik Business Review awarded "Smart Bastoon".
Engineer.bg awarded the team "Speakle".
TLL Media awarded "Martisat1" and "Artify".
Pixelmedia awarded the team "Smart Bastoon".
The newspaper Technical Vanguard awarded “Smart Bastoon”, “Speakle” and “Learneez”.
bTV Business News awarded “Learneez”.
The IT companies that supported the seventh anniversary edition of TUES FEST 2024 chose to award the following projects:
“For the Words” – a mobile application for enriching language culture. It offers a “word of the week” with a description and example, and daily provides test tasks for practicing the Bulgarian language. It was awarded by A1.
“Menta” and “911” were awarded by Nemetschek Bulgaria. Menta is a robot controlled by a Raspberry Pi 4, whose main purpose is to serve as a psychologist. It uses the artificial intelligence of ollama – samantha from mistral, to generate answers which are then converted into speech via Piper AI. 911 is an innovative drone designed to act as an autonomous rescuer and supplier in emergency situations.
“identyPay”, “StampR”, “GRAID” and “Operating System” took the awards from ICT Strypes. IdentiPay: Secure. Private. Cardless. Pay instantly using your verified digital identity, managed effortlessly in the identiPay wallet. StampR is a fully functional software platform, specifically developed to protect the intellectual property of future gurus – TUESARI, by verifying the moment in which a given digital content existed (Qualified Electronic Time Stamp - timestamp) and its contributor. GRAID (Graph-based Rapid Avoidance and Intelligent Decisioning) is a system for autonomous drone management, developed with the aim of fast and intelligent obstacle avoidance. It combines computer vision, using images from onboard cameras, and graph algorithms, to provide real-time navigation solutions in complex environments. Operating System, written in Rust.
“Raydar” and “Learneez” were awarded by Telebid Pro.
“ACIG – Automatic Composite Image Generation” and “PBPG” were awarded by Chaos. ACIG is a system for 3D reconstruction of terrains from stereo images captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle, which automatically generates and merges geo-referenced point clouds into a precise three-dimensional model of the surrounding environment. PBPG is a Metroidvania game – you fight monsters, unlock new places, discover new weapons, until you reach the final boss – the narrator himself.
“AGI” won the Cognyte award. A robotic assistant consisting of 2 mechanized arms that interact with its surrounding environment. It uses cameras to better understand its environment and makes decisions using artificial intelligence.
“Katy-Feeder” was awarded by DevriX. Katy-Feeder – a smart cat feeder that measures the cat's weight at each feeding and automatically dispenses the amount of food according to its needs.
“DiscoChanDb” was awarded by Haemimont AD. DiscoChanDb is a Discord bot for databases.
“8-bit Computer”, “CrossGain” and “SageMaker Machine Learning Monitoring model in AWS environment” won the IBM award. The logic of an 8-bit computer made only with building blocks and logic circuits, arranged on a series of breadboards. Orchestrating cloud infrastructure via a Kubernetes cluster through Crossplane, in which a demo web application is provided, proving its validity and functionality. AWS SageMaker monitoring model for predictive maintenance of web and mobile applications. Based on previous events, future crashes in web and mobile applications are predicted using an ARIMA ML Model. The entire infrastructure is deployed in an AWS cloud environment.
“Smart Glasses”, “VitalLink” and “AGI” were awarded by Ocado Technology. Custom-built wearable smart glasses system by a highly specialized board that connects to your phone and uses AI to assist you in real time. Capture text with the built-in camera, get instant answers from ChatGPT, navigate with step-by-step directions, track your movement, and never miss a calendar event. VitalLink is an IoT system of connected devices to assist medical teams and patients.
“Q-bit” and “FirmFlow” were awarded by Yettel. FirmFlow is a platform that helps with starting businesses.
“Speakle” and “911” won the awards from Bosch Engineering Center Sofia.
“Moneta” was awarded by DXC Technology. Moneta is an interactive web platform that helps children and students build financial literacy through realistic simulations. Each simulation scenario places them in a different stage of a person's life, giving them diverse goals that they must achieve by making financial decisions. Each decision leads to different results and visualizations of their potential life.
“Katy-Feeder”, “Page Zap” and “Camera Light Meter” were awarded by Festo Bulgaria. Page Zap is a wireless device for turning pages on Kindle with Bluetooth remote control. A camera light meter that calculates the correct exposure settings for photos.
"GRAID" and "DropX" took the awards from GlobalFoundries.
"Building connectivity between two separate service providers using Inter-AS Option C compared to RFC 4364" was awarded by GTT.
"GoAlert" was awarded by ITGix.
"Learneez", "Operating System" and "HomeTour" took the awards from M2M Services. HomeTour is an online platform that transports clients to their future home before it is even built. HomeTour offers a gallery of apartments with detailed 3D visualizations created with the help of Unity Game Engine.
"ReFinder" is a web site for found and lost items, developed by 8th-grade students, which was awarded by SAP Labs Bulgaria and was the audience favorite.
"Building a network architecture based on a DMVPN solution" was awarded by Telelink Business Services. The project demonstrates the construction of a network architecture based on a DMVPN solution, which ensures secure and efficient connectivity between one central and three remote offices. The architecture is built using the GNS3 network simulator.
"StampR", "Artify" and "For the Words" took the awards from Trading 212.
TUES Fest 2025 was not just an open day – it was a celebration of technological education, inspiration, and the community that makes TUES a unique place for learning, development, and shaping the future.
Economy.bg awarded "MedsTracker".
Darik Business Review awarded "Smart Bastoon".
Engineer.bg awarded the team "Speakle".
TLL Media awarded "Martisat1" and "Artify".
Pixelmedia awarded the team "Smart Bastoon".
The newspaper Technical Vanguard awarded “Smart Bastoon”, “Speakle” and “Learneez”.
bTV Business News awarded “Learneez”.
The IT companies that supported the seventh anniversary edition of TUES FEST 2024 chose to award the following projects:
“For the Words” – a mobile application for enriching language culture. It offers a “word of the week” with a description and example, and daily provides test tasks for practicing the Bulgarian language. It was awarded by A1.
“Menta” and “911” were awarded by Nemetschek Bulgaria. Menta is a robot controlled by a Raspberry Pi 4, whose main purpose is to serve as a psychologist. It uses the artificial intelligence of ollama – samantha from mistral, to generate answers which are then converted into speech via Piper AI. 911 is an innovative drone designed to act as an autonomous rescuer and supplier in emergency situations.
“identyPay”, “StampR”, “GRAID” and “Operating System” took the awards from ICT Strypes. IdentiPay: Secure. Private. Cardless. Pay instantly using your verified digital identity, managed effortlessly in the identiPay wallet. StampR is a fully functional software platform, specifically developed to protect the intellectual property of future gurus – TUESARI, by verifying the moment in which a given digital content existed (Qualified Electronic Time Stamp - timestamp) and its contributor. GRAID (Graph-based Rapid Avoidance and Intelligent Decisioning) is a system for autonomous drone management, developed with the aim of fast and intelligent obstacle avoidance. It combines computer vision, using images from onboard cameras, and graph algorithms, to provide real-time navigation solutions in complex environments. Operating System, written in Rust.
“Raydar” and “Learneez” were awarded by Telebid Pro.
“ACIG – Automatic Composite Image Generation” and “PBPG” were awarded by Chaos. ACIG is a system for 3D reconstruction of terrains from stereo images captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle, which automatically generates and merges geo-referenced point clouds into a precise three-dimensional model of the surrounding environment. PBPG is a Metroidvania game – you fight monsters, unlock new places, discover new weapons, until you reach the final boss – the narrator himself.
“AGI” won the Cognyte award. A robotic assistant consisting of 2 mechanized arms that interact with its surrounding environment. It uses cameras to better understand its environment and makes decisions using artificial intelligence.
“Katy-Feeder” was awarded by DevriX. Katy-Feeder – a smart cat feeder that measures the cat's weight at each feeding and automatically dispenses the amount of food according to its needs.
“DiscoChanDb” was awarded by Haemimont AD. DiscoChanDb is a Discord bot for databases.
“8-bit Computer”, “CrossGain” and “SageMaker Machine Learning Monitoring model in AWS environment” won the IBM award. The logic of an 8-bit computer made only with building blocks and logic circuits, arranged on a series of breadboards. Orchestrating cloud infrastructure via a Kubernetes cluster through Crossplane, in which a demo web application is provided, proving its validity and functionality. AWS SageMaker monitoring model for predictive maintenance of web and mobile applications. Based on previous events, future crashes in web and mobile applications are predicted using an ARIMA ML Model. The entire infrastructure is deployed in an AWS cloud environment.
“Smart Glasses”, “VitalLink” and “AGI” were awarded by Ocado Technology. Custom-built wearable smart glasses system by a highly specialized board that connects to your phone and uses AI to assist you in real time. Capture text with the built-in camera, get instant answers from ChatGPT, navigate with step-by-step directions, track your movement, and never miss a calendar event. VitalLink is an IoT system of connected devices to assist medical teams and patients.
“Q-bit” and “FirmFlow” were awarded by Yettel. FirmFlow is a platform that helps with starting businesses.
“Speakle” and “911” won the awards from Bosch Engineering Center Sofia.
“Moneta” was awarded by DXC Technology. Moneta is an interactive web platform that helps children and students build financial literacy through realistic simulations. Each simulation scenario places them in a different stage of a person's life, giving them diverse goals that they must achieve by making financial decisions. Each decision leads to different results and visualizations of their potential life.
“Katy-Feeder”, “Page Zap” and “Camera Light Meter” were awarded by Festo Bulgaria. Page Zap is a wireless device for turning pages on Kindle with Bluetooth remote control. A camera light meter that calculates the correct exposure settings for photos.
"GRAID" and "DropX" took the awards from GlobalFoundries.
"Building connectivity between two separate service providers using Inter-AS Option C compared to RFC 4364" was awarded by GTT.
"GoAlert" was awarded by ITGix.
"Learneez", "Operating System" and "HomeTour" took the awards from M2M Services. HomeTour is an online platform that transports clients to their future home before it is even built. HomeTour offers a gallery of apartments with detailed 3D visualizations created with the help of Unity Game Engine.
"ReFinder" is a web site for found and lost items, developed by 8th-grade students, which was awarded by SAP Labs Bulgaria and was the audience favorite.
"Building a network architecture based on a DMVPN solution" was awarded by Telelink Business Services. The project demonstrates the construction of a network architecture based on a DMVPN solution, which ensures secure and efficient connectivity between one central and three remote offices. The architecture is built using the GNS3 network simulator.
"StampR", "Artify" and "For the Words" took the awards from Trading 212.
TUES Fest 2025 was not just an open day – it was a celebration of technological education, inspiration, and the community that makes TUES a unique place for learning, development, and shaping the future.
