11-20, 15:40–15:45 (Pacific/Auckland), WG403
This lightning talk highlights the progress of forming a FOSS4G community in Bulgaria. After two local FOSS4Gs and one OSM mapathon we are still on our way of establishing the core of the community. These milestones represent significant progress and open up exciting opportunities for collaboration, learning, and growth.
People and companies working with FOSS4G technologies had never gathered together for networking until the first FOSS4G:BG in March 2024. The event had great success bringing together more than 100 participants from both the public and the private sectors. The second edition, held in March 2025, was even more ambitious and featured a full day of workshops followed by a day of talks. Moreover the OSM mapathon in May 2025 sparked interest in many university and high school students. All of this was possible to happen thanks to our informal organisation - QGIS.bg. More than just an organization, QGIS.bg serves as a platform for sharing GIS materials and tutorials in Bulgarian language.
This is only the beginning for us in shaping a stable community. While we face many challenges, we believe that we are on the right track. With enough motivation, consistency and shared passion we will eventually grow into the strong and vibrant FOSS4G community that Bulgaria deserves.
I have recently graduated from my Bachelor's degree in Geospatial technologies from Sofia University with additional academic experience through Erasmus+ programs in Italy, Romania, and Poland. I have experience in spatial data analysis, urban planning and environmental GIS applications. I am currently doing freelance GIS consultancy and QGIS tutoring.