The first edition of the "Palandoken" Economic Forum was held in the tourist city of Erzurum, Türkiye, on April 26–27, 2025. The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was represented by Dr. Vasil Todorov, Vice-President of BCCI, and Yancho Yanev, President of the Haskovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The forum was officially opened with welcome addresses from the official guests — the Vice President of Turkey Cevdet Yilmaz, Ministers of Trade, Culture and Tourism, Education, and other representatives of the central and local government.
Topics included the global economic transformation, digitalization, sustainable development, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and society.
Business representatives, the academia, and civil society shared their forecasts for the future of the global economy. Significant changes are expected within the next 5–10 years, with up to 80% of professions likely to be directly affected by the implementation of the AI. Rapid advances are anticipated in the sectors of biotechnology, disease treatment, and life expectancy extension. However, there will be a growing need for people to acquire new knowledge and skills, as the integration of AI into various systems will go hand in hand with the need to understand how these systems work and what protective mechanisms they include.