The first partnership will be concluded with the Regional TIC Cluster Western Region, which has been established during Cluj Innovation Days, in the presence of the Minister of Communications and Informational Society, Marius Bostan. This year's conference represents the first step towards creating an interdisciplinary forum for debate. "Digital Economy" will be the main theme of Cluj Innovation Days 2017, according to the organizers.
Cluj IT Cluster starts a national network of IT&C clusters. The first partnership targets the Regional Cluster for Information Technology and Communications (TIC) Western Region and it has been established during Cluj Innovation Days, an event held in April in Cluj-Napoca, in the presence of the Minister of Communications and Informational Society, Marius Bostan. The partnership mainly aims at facilitating the interaction between the members of the two clusters and at developing joint projects.
"The project of a national IT&C cluster network is one of the most ambitious projects of Cluj IT Cluster. We wish to aggregate all the clusters dedicated to information technology and communications in this structure, in order to develop major projects together and to give our members the opportunity to exchange experience with colleagues from other areas of the country. Our colleagues from Timişoara have responded promptly to our invitation and during Cluj Innovation Days we had the opportunity to discuss this partnership in detail, benefiting from the presence of the Minister of Communications and Informational Society, Marius Bostan. In addition to this, starting from March, Cluj IT Cluster represents Romania in the strategic partnership oriented towards the internationalization of IMMs in the European Union and we want to offer an opening to this project for others IT&C clusters in Romania", Stelian Brad, the President of Cluj IT Cluster, stated.
The representatives of the two clusters are already preparing the first joint projects. "The initiative of our colleagues from Cluj is commendable and we are happy to be the first ones who embrace it. Together, within a national network, the IT&C clusters in Romania will have the possibility to develop projects on a larger level and gain access to know-how, information and various expertise. The effects will surely be reflected in the future years", Sabin Totorean, the Coordinator of the Internationalization Committee of the Regional TIC Cluster - Western Region Romania, stated.
The fourth edition of the annual event Cluj Innovation Days gathered in Cluj-Napoca between March 31-April 1, 2016 more than 500 IT managers, physicians, academics, representatives of the public administration and businesspeople. The conference focused on two major themes: digital medicine and digital governance. "It was in fact the first interdisciplinary conference attended by physicians, policy makers in the medical Romanian and European field, public administration and IT industry representatives. The debates at Cluj Innovation Days represent a first step towards creating a forum where people with various and different occupations want to be involved in the Romania's development on medium and long term. As per participants` state, we still have a window of opportunity to start implementing digital medicine in Romania, and the experts are willing to provide knowledge and experience to the success of this apply", Andrei Kelemen, the Executive Director of Cluj IT Cluster, stated.
Moreover, the event in Cluj brought together participants with internationally enhanced professional reputation who want to be involved in projects for the development of Romania. "In addition to excellent relations with European experts, we intend to develop a partnership with the Romanian diaspora in the US in areas of common interest", Andrei Kelemen added.
Following the Cluj Innovation Days 2016 debates, it was outlined next year's theme: digital economy. "After digital medicine and governance, we will approach the issue of the economy and its future in an increasingly digitized world. Everything which can be moved into the digital, will be moved into the digital, and it is important to understand the implications which these processes will have on us as individuals and communities", Stelian Brad added.
Cluj Innovation Days is an annual regional forum organized by Cluj IT Cluster since 2013 and which aims to strengthen the IT community and to facilitate interaction with business partners and the public sector. The partners of Cluj Innovation Days 2016 edition were: Cisco (main partner), IBM (platinum partner), Banca Transilvania and Dell Software (gold partners), Orange, Alpha Software, Brinel Cloud Troopers, Endava, Life is Hard, Pitech+Plus and Xoomworks. Strategic partners: University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Haţieganu" Cluj-Napoca, the City Hall and the City Council Cluj-Napoca. Facilitators: AMM Design, Vitrina Advertising, Outlead Marketing, Cluj Hub, Golden Tulip, Romania Transfers, E-nformation. Media partners: Rock FM, Digi24, Sinteza, Hotnews, Ştiinţă şi Tehnică, Agora, IT Trends, Startup Cafe, Transilvania Reporter, Revista Hipocrate, Ziua de Cluj, Buna Ziua Cluj, Cluju, Cât Costă Clujul, Today Software Magazine.
More information about Cluj Innovation Days 2016: www.clujinnovationdays.com.