INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIOLOGY

Their core work

The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology (part of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) conducts social science research on labour markets, social inclusion, and rural development policy across Europe. They specialize in analyzing how EU policies affect vulnerable groups — youth facing job insecurity, women with disabilities, and rural communities adapting to agricultural reform. Their work combines empirical social research with policy evaluation, particularly examining how digital transformation and Industry 4.0 reshape workplaces and widen or narrow social inequalities. They bring an Eastern European perspective that is often underrepresented in EU-wide research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), IPS focused heavily on youth employment and social exclusion — studying how young Europeans negotiate precarious labour markets and how lifelong learning can counter disadvantage. From 2019 onward, their work shifted in two directions: toward agricultural and food system policy (EFUA, COCOREADO) and toward the social impacts of Industry 4.0, including robotization and digitisation. Their most recent project (MILIEU, 2021) marks a new turn toward gender and disability studies, specifically building research capacity in Bulgaria.

IPS is moving from studying social exclusion as a problem toward studying how major transitions (digital, agricultural, gender equity) can be designed inclusively — positioning them well for Horizon Europe's missions on social resilience.

How they like to work

IPS operates almost exclusively as a consortium partner (7 of 8 projects), joining large multinational teams — their 72 unique partners across 26 countries confirm a wide collaborative reach. They coordinated only once (MILIEU), a Widening Participation project focused on building their own institutional capacity. This profile suggests a reliable, experienced partner that brings Eastern European empirical data and policy insight to large consortia, rather than an organization that drives project design from the front.

With 72 unique partners across 26 countries, IPS has a remarkably broad European network for an institute of its size. Their connections span Western, Southern, and Northern Europe, making them an effective bridge to bring Bulgarian and broader Eastern European perspectives into pan-European consortia.

What sets them apart

IPS is one of Bulgaria's most internationally connected social science institutes, with deep expertise at the intersection of EU policy evaluation and social inclusion — a combination that many Western European partners need but few Eastern European institutes can deliver at this scale. Their ability to work across sectors (from agriculture to digital transformation to disability rights) while maintaining a consistent social inclusion lens makes them unusually versatile. For consortium builders, they offer both genuine Eastern European field research capacity and a proven track record of delivering in large multinational projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MILIEU
  Their only coordinated project (and largest budget at EUR 326,875), focused on building scientific excellence in gender and disability studies in Bulgaria — signals institutional ambition to lead.
• BEYOND4.0
  Largest participation budget (EUR 265,779) and marks their entry into digital transformation research, bridging their social inclusion expertise with Industry 4.0 impacts.
• LIAISON
  Central to their agricultural policy portfolio, examining how multi-actor innovation networks connect farmers, policymakers, and researchers across Europe.