On October 26, 2024, the Gamification Transformation Lab was inaugurated at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". This innovative platform was established to bring together faculty and international experts in gamification, providing a space for research, training, and collaboration. The Lab idea emerged four years ago when the master’s program “Gamification in the Business, Public, and NGO Sectors” was launched. Since then, it has trained two groups of specialists working on gamification methods in education and business.

The Lab plays a key role in merging theory and practice to create innovative gamified solutions. Its main objectives include:

• Developing gamified learning platforms – using game mechanics to drive innovation in the learning process.
• Hosting workshops and events – fostering idea exchange, expertise, and novel approaches among students, faculty, and industry representatives.
• Conducting research and publications – contributing to the research community by publishing indexed scientific articles and studies.
• Implementing gamification in courses at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration – enhancing student motivation and engagement.

During the opening, the first student workshop for fourth-year Faculty of Economics and Business Administration students was introduced. It will focus on "The Impact of Technological Innovation on Consumer Behavior and the Demand for Convenience". Students will work in teams to analyze and design a marketing strategy for innovative products in the European market, exploring factors like product lifecycle and convenience culture. Their findings will be presented during the workshop on November 30, 2024.

The Lab has already achieved success with its research and collaboration with prominent international scholars. A significant result was the roundtable on “Gamification in Education” held on June 7, 2024, in room 315 of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and online, with around twenty scholars and practitioners from various fields in attendance. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ts. Davidkov, the roundtable covered topics such as gamified approaches in management disciplines, research on game design in university settings, and marketing game tools for informal education. The results of this event will be published in a special issue of the journal Pedagogy, dedicated to gamification in education.

The Lab is part of the project “Gamification in Education and the Workplace” led by Prof. Dr. Nevyana Krasteva. It is also part of the “SOFIA UNIVERSITY – MARKER FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (SUMMIT)” initiative, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU under Bulgaria’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The project aims to establish a network of research universities and promote innovation across various sectors.

Lab Team: Prof. Dr. Nevyana Krasteva, Prof. Dr. Ts. Davidkov, Prof. Dr. Sonya Mileva-Bozhanova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nora Madjar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veneta Andonova Zuleta, Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Aleksey Potebnya, along with doctoral candidates Rayna Pehlivanska, Rumen Petkov, Silvia Toneva, and others.

The photo captures the inauguration of the Gamification Transformation Lab at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", held on October 26, 2024. A group of students and faculty members is posing in front of a screen displaying the title “Inauguration of the Gamification Transformation Lab”. The setting is bright and welcoming, reflecting an academic atmosphere and the participants’ engagement. The lab is intended as an innovative platform for research and training, promoting the use of gamification in education and business.