Update April 2000: Romania

The promotion of the Information Society in Romania is day by day more intense, a greater number of people becoming aware of its importance.

1. Information Society Promoters

1.1 Governmental institutions

• NACI – National Agency for Communications and Informatics and Ministry of National Education by press conferences; ANSTI – National Agency for Science Technology and Innovation by FP 5.

1.2 Mass media

1.2.1 Press

The press role is that of information, education and attitude, specialized publications are trying to move in this direction, representing a useful source of information for some interested groups, but unfortunately these groups represent a limited category.

1.2.2 Specialized publications

• PC Magazine Romania, PC Report, Gazeta de Informatica, (by Computer Press Agora Company) and by web moderation of a discussions list named TIC-lobby. A first effect of this discussions was a governmental regulation.
• PC World Romania, Computer World Romania, Network World Romania (edited by Information Data Group Romania)
• Media Express, Comunicatii Mobile, publications of media culture and communication technology.

1.2.3 Daily newspapers

• Adevarul
• Adevarul Economic
• Capital, Romania Libera
• Ziarul Financiar etc.

1.2.4 Television

There are two TV stations promoting IS: TVR2; ProTV (broadcasting: http://www.apropo.ro)

1.2.5 Radio stations

Radio Romania Cultural which disseminates information by two broadcasts twice a week; Radio Uniplus has also a specialized broadcast "Bond in the Net (Prins în retea)”

1.2.6 Professional Associations (and also governmental institutions) participate in all IS promotional actions.

2. Particularly interesting actions / initiatives

2.1 Cisco Systems and the impact of the internet.

 The press conference "The impact of the internet on the government and the public administration (Impactul Internetului asupra guvernului si administratiei publice)", organized by Cisco Systems Romania on January 26th, 2000, at the Athenee Palace Hilton Hotel, has as invitees Mr. Theo De Jongh (Director of Governmental Alliances EMEA Cisco Systems), Mr. Larry Irving (President Irving Information Group) and Mr. Thomas Mesa (Press Attached, The Embassy of the United States in Romania).

2.2 Scientific seminar: "Micro and Nano Structures. Possibilities and Perspectives (Micro si Nanostructuri. Posibilitati si Perspective)”, Friday, February 4^th, 2000, under the aegis of the Romanian Academy, the Commission of Science and Technology of Microsystems and ANSTI. At the same date the debate of the multi-disciplinary R&D project “Micro&nanotechnologies for life quality and durable development (Micro si nanotehnologii pentru calitatea vietii si dezvoltare durabila)” was debated. 

Main topics: electro-opto-mechanical microsystems, nanotechnologies, nanostructures and nanostructured materials, microtraductors: miniaturization and integration, computational intelligence, microstructures and microsystems for communication and radiolocation. The success of the seminar made necessary a second edition on February 18^th, 2000. Prof. Lanyi Szabolcz , president of ANSTI took part in this seminar and Prof. Maya Simionescu vice-president of the Romanian Academy.

2.3 Extended meeting of the Consultative Board of ESIS II Romania Project, "Information Society Issue in the EU Enlargement Context (Problematica Societatii Informationale în contextul integrarii europene)”, February 15, 2000. 

The meeting aimed debating the IS issues in the context of EU enlargement. The participants were representing the government, mass media and professional associations. The information disseminated reflected the trend of EU concerning IS. Among the main speakers we have to mention:

• Prof. dr. Ion Gh. Rosca, ASE – Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest: "For the construction of IS, we need important steps and investments, which concentrically comprises institutions, organizations, activities etc., having as final user THE CITIZEN, who it is at the same time an active factor in the consolidation of the IS).".

• Mrs. Rodica Pârvu – General Manager of ORDA – Romanian Office for Copyright (Oficiul Român pentru Drepturile de Autor (ORDA). Mrs. Pârvu presented the activity of ORDA (ORDA was created from the political will of protecting intellectual property) and the situation of the copyright regulations in the EU context .

• Mrs. Ioana Slavescu, Manager of Strategy Department – NACI - National Agency for Communications and Informatics (Agentia Nationala pentru Comunicatii si Informatica). Mrs. Slavescu presented the preoccupations of NACI concerning the elaboration of a durable strategy: "there are many aspects which have to be mentioned: legislative, institutional (specialized entities), technological (fundamental technical plans), market, price policy".

• Mrs. Cecilia Tarâca, Manager at NACI, mentioned some “communicational” aspects, pointing out the fact that the communication is still incoherent, incomplete and this kind of debates are more than benefic. Mrs. Tarâca also emphasized the tasks of Romania within the enlargement partnership, concerning IS (objectives, competition-IS, education-IS, justice-IS etc.)

• Mr. Adrian Pascu, expert at ANSTI - National Agency for Science Technology and Innovation (Agentia Nationala pentru Stiinta, Tehnologie si Inovare) presented some aspects bond with Romanian research integration in the European research by participation at FP 5 .
• Mr. Prof. dr. Eng. Paul Svasta, ANSTI President counselor, mentioned the important issue of human resources, the necessity of SMEs implication and the necessity of an appropriate managerial structure, but the IS was not referred to.

• Mr. Prof. Dan Dascalu member of the Romanian Academy, The ESIS II Romania project co-ordinator underlined the issue of how the Romanian public receive the Information Society. Mrs. Mona Musca, deputy at the Commission for Culture, Art and Mass-Media of the deputy Chamber, has an intervention concerning the above issues from the IS beneficiary point of view. Mrs. Musca pointed out that it is needed a more powerful lobby among the young people (more receptive), among the businessmen (SMEs), but also in the political sphere.

• Mrs. Mihaela Cârstea, Chief-editor at PC Magazine. As a press representative Mrs. Cârstea presented the issues of specialized press, the fact that political people have to become dependent on this communication system (internet, e-mail). She also mentioned the fundamental role of radio and TV in the IS dissemination.
• Mr. Vlad-Florian Tepelea President of ANIS – National Association of Software Enterprises (Asociatia Nationala a Întreprinderilor de Software), made some references to the content measures: the development of communication infrastructure, of the IS education, legislation for e-commerce, for data protection, using of TIC in public administration.

2.4 The Conference "The developing of National Informational Infrastructure (Dezvoltarea Infrastructurii Informationale Nationale)”, organized on Thursday, February 17^th, 2000 in the Great Hall of the Romanian Academy by the Forum for IS (Commission of the Romanian Academy), was focused on the fact that the informatization has to become a priority for Romania especially in the present context starting the enlargement negotiations. Another interesting problem debated was the e-Romania initiative.

2.5 Press Conference "Romanian Informatic and Telecommunications Infrastructure comparative with Central and East European Countries (Infrastructura de informatica si telecomunicatii din România în comparatie cu tarile din Centrul si Estul Europei)", House of Scientists, March 22^nd 2000.

The Press Conference aimed at presenting the situation of Romania the way it results from the synthesis realized by PMS Team after one year of project running. Specialists and Mass-Media representatives participated in the conference (TV, daily newspapers, specialized magazines, press agencies). The presented papers had a great impact on the participants, reflected in a big number of articles published, especially in daily newspapers (Curentul, Adevarul, Romania Libera) or disseminated by press agencies and taken over by other publications. It has to be underlined the grown interest versus IS comparatively with other promotional actions organized.

The synthesis presented some important IS issues:

• Economic data (general data, telecommunications market, computers market);
• The regulations situation in the telecommunications sector;
• Main actors in the IS stimulation;
• Basic indicators: telephony lines, telecommunications equipment, personal computers, internet and s. o.
• Public network utilization and national operator prices.

2.6 Conference organized by ANSTI and Femirc Center "Partnership Towards European Integration (Parteneriat pentru integrarea europeana)", Bucharest, March 27-28 2000, Continental Hotel. 

Main Goal: To spread information and to envisage partnership for project preparation towards European Integration. The conference has two objectives: to present to Romanian beneficiaries a new cooperation opportunity with partners from EU Member and Associated Countries offered by the program Regional Innovation Strategies in the area of regional development through innovation and technology transfer and to support the participation of Romanian organizations in the European Union's 5th Framework Program for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration 1998-2002

2.7 HRTC2000 - Workshop, March13-14 2000, organized by POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, Human Resources Training Center. 

Workshop Aim: Technology Transfer (TT) is a form of interaction among key-actors: Academy, Government, research labs and industry. It occurs only if all concerned are willing and able to sustain closed and co-operative projects. The appropriate infrastructure must be created for an effective and successful TT program to take place in the years to come. This is even more so in the case of the Concurrent Evolving Enterprise. The Human Resources Training at POLITECHNICA University of Bucharest has had as a priority this programme since 1994, January 26th when it was authorized by the Ministry of Education to promote: Continuous education & training, Long distance education, Research & development projects for inter-disciplinary fields, Technology transfer for Romanian industry, Networking with important European universities research labs.