Spinoff Initiative: 360 Degrees Labs

Training programs for healthcare professionals on how to interpret AI-generated insights and integrate them into clinical decision-making

Spinoff Initiative: 360 Degrees Labs for AI and Personalised Medicine

Initiative by: Health & Life Sciences Cluster Bulgaria & AI Cluster Bulgaria 

Vision: To establish Bulgaria’s first integrated innovation hub for AI-powered personalised medicine, bridging research, industry, and clinical care to transform preventive and precision healthcare.

Concept in Short:

360 Degrees Labs represents a cross-sector innovation ecosystem that unites multidisciplinary training, applied research and development, startup acceleration, and policy development. Its goal is to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence in personalised healthcare, translating ideas from hospital bedside to advanced technology labs and scalable ventures.

Core Components

The foundation of the initiative lies in its Multidisciplinary Training Labs, tailored to two distinct target groups. Clinicians participate in practical workshops that focus on interpreting AI-generated diagnostics, such as medical imaging and genomic risk profiling, with an emphasis on ethical use, bias mitigation, and GDPR/HIPAA compliance. In parallel, developers undergo technical bootcamps on AI integration with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), predictive modelling, and deployment of clinical decision-support systems. 

The Labs also serve as entry points into Horizon Europe networks and National Contact Point (NCP) activities. These enable participants and project partners to align their research, policy engagement, and commercialisation pathways with the evolving European health innovation agenda. Notably, the initiative participates in cross-border projects such as VELES (Bulgaria’s node in the European Health Data Space) and Digital Europe, ensuring compliance with EHDS standards and access to anonymised, high-quality health data.

A key feature of the ecosystem is its ability to facilitate the creation of spinoffs through matchmaking between startups, industry, and clinical sectors. These collaborations help form well-balanced founding teams that bring together academic researchers, healthcare practitioners, and tech developers. To support knowledge transfer and community building, the initiative hosts 360-degree forums twice a year. These events serve as innovation marketplaces to showcase early-stage spinoff solutions, foster dialogue around cutting-edge topics such as 5P medicine, AI in genomics, and the green transition in healthcare, and build visibility in the lead-up to high-profile milestones, including the Spinoff Conference.

The first two spinoffs emerging from 360 Degrees Labs were initiated in March 2025 and formally presented during the Spinoff Conference 2025, demonstrating early proof of concept and validating the Labs as a viable launchpad for health-tech innovation.

Expected Outcomes

By 2027, the initiative aims to train over 250 healthcare professionals in AI integration through a structured combination of simulation-based learning, accredited certification, and practical boot camps. This will establish a new generation of AI-literate medical experts capable of shaping and applying intelligent healthcare solutions.

The innovation pipeline targets the development and launch of at least 20 AI-driven preventive care solutions, including personalised screening algorithms, digital twins for risk prediction, and adaptive treatment recommendations. These applications will utilise VELES for secure access to health data and the Supercomputer Discoverer for high-performance computing in model training, thereby ensuring both data security and computational power.

On the policy front, the initiative will contribute to the co-creation of Bulgaria’s first national guidelines for AI use in personalised medicine. This will be achieved by piloting AI tools in clinical environments and by organising joint regulatory workshops with public institutions under Horizon Europe frameworks.

From an economic perspective, 360 Degrees Labs is designed to catalyse spinoff formation by providing access to the AI Factory at Sofia Tech Park, the InnoMedCatalyst accelerator, and mentoring from industry and research partners. These spinoffs will be prominently featured at the Spinoff Conference, attracting strategic partnerships, venture capital, and foreign direct investment (FDI) to fuel Bulgaria’s growing HealthTech ecosystem.

The initiative will position Bulgaria as a leader in personalised, AI-powered healthcare in the Balkans, leveraging strategic infrastructure including the Discoverer (EuroHPC Supercomputer), the AI Factory, and VELES (EHDS). Through this alignment, 360 Degrees Labs aims to support scalable innovation, cross-border research, and secure, sovereign digital health solutions.

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biocluster@biocluster.bg