February 2001

Romania Summary Report (1999 - 2000)

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.

Specialized publications: PC Magazine Romania, PC Report, Gazeta de Informatică, (by Computer Press Agora Company) and by web moderation of a discussions list named TIC-lobby. A first effect of the discussions was a governmental regulation.

PC World Romania, Computer World Romania, Network World Romania (edited by Information Data Group Romania), Chip-Computer Magazin

Media Express, Comunicaţii Mobile (Mobile Communications), Romanian Business Journal, publications of media culture and communication technology.

Daily newspapers: Adevărul, Curentul, Capital, Romania Liberă, Top business etc.

A high role play the "e-Finance" magazine in financial and banking area (www.piatafinanciara.ro) to promote IS and to organize specific events.

During October-November mass media was focused on general election (November-December) and the implication of the election in IS area.

Television: There are two TV stations promoting IS: TVR2; ProTV (broadcasting: "HYPERLYNK http://www.apropo.ro"). Other TV stations use Internet for live broadcasting (www.antena1.ro; www.tucashow.ro)

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 reţea)”

PC Net and Radio 21 (100.2 FM) have started a Saturday morning show called ‘Internet with PC Net.’ The show aims to inform the audience about the latest Internet news and events that happened during the week, new products and web sites.

1. Particularly interesting actions / initiatives

1.1 Main Programmes related to IS stimulation:

Research and Development Programme for Micro and Nanotechnologies, approved by Romanian Government in November 2000. Two new research programmes are to be launched in year 2000:

"New materials, technologies and microsystems for quality of life and environment" and "Micro and nanotechnologies for competitivity and sustainable growth" (more information http://www.imt.ro/).

1.2 Main events having played a major role in the process of IS development:

The conference: New modern technologies and their impact on education and training in the South Eastern Europe( 3-5 December 2000, Sinaia, Romania) organized by Ministry of National Education.

The Conference represents a joint Education and Youth Task Force, Working Table I and Working Table II of the Stability Pact proposal, sustained by the Romanian co-presidency of the Working Table 1, to assist the social and economic development and the consolidation of democratic societies in South Eastern Europe.

The Conference was deal with examining existing and potential modern technologies investments, and their impact on education and training from two perspectives:

The challenges of the new modern technologies for education and training provision as far as issues related to employability, new qualifications and labour market development are concerned (e.g. new structure of qualifications and competencies, entrepreneurial community, flexible labour market, employment and local market development, social and organizational transformations);

New learning technologies and democratization of education and training, a way for social cohesion (e.g. new learning forms and modes from the perspective of lifelong learning, school and classroom management, citizenship education – open society, school/university as resource center, corporate investment in education and training, social inclusion of vulnerable individuals and groups).

Some transversal issues will be dealt with during the conference:

Development of civil society and the involvement of multiple actors in promoting ad hoc and grassroots initiatives and actions at the policy level

Special actions for vulnerable individuals and groups as regards both schooling and employment processes

The structure of the conference will be therefore twofold: key-issues for policy setting and transfer of good practice. Although the topic is relevant across Europe and abroad, both policy paper debate and case study analysis will assume country specificity as regards the new modern technologies by means of education and training.

Objectives:

• to facilitate the participants information about some of the most important new developments that are taking place in the region and abroad and the interrelations that are emerging between the development of new modern technologies and their environments;

• to raise awareness and present new experiences and ideas for broader dissemination and utilization within this diverse, but still exclusive target group;

• to serve as a forum for the creation of new extension of existing fruitful networks of cooperation between different type of social actors that may contribute to the achievement of the goals set by the Stability Pact through the setting up of the corporate stakeholders units, community partnerships, in respect of human rights, environmental and other social goals;

• to connect education, training, employment, and new modern technologies for an innovative and sustainable economic development, in order to increase cohesion between labour market and economic investments on short, medium and long term

• to identify best ICT strategies that should facilitate new education and training modes, the more the learning environments lack the traditional infrastructure

• to find best practices and discuss concrete means for dealing with the current situation and explore strategies and visions for the future

On 10 October 2000, the UN/ECE was hold a Forum on Electronic Business in Romania and South East Europe, 10 October 2000, Bucharest, organized by Romanian Foreign Trade Centre (Ministry of Industry and Commerce) and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania and Bucharest Romania in collaboration with United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Speakers was included high-ranking officials from UN/ECE member States and key players in the industry both at the global and regional level.

Objectives of the Forum are:

• Promote the development of the Internet and electronic commerce in transition economies;

• Review the Internet infrastructure and prospects for electronic commerce in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS;

• Consider the potential of electronic commerce for small and medium-sized enterprises;

• Identify the needs for capacity building;

During the two-day event participating:

• key decision-makers and officials from all over the region; people who will provide the framework by fostering infrastructure developments and improving business conditions;

• international business leaders with years of experience; the major players in electronic commerce who will set the pace for the future;

• high-ranking representatives from international organisations and the European Union who assist transition economies and help them confront the new challenges.

The next subjects was discussed at Forum:

• What is the realistic potential and time-scale of these new prospects and what can transition economies do to be included in this progress?

• What can Governments in the region do to stimulate electronic commerce, to encourage start-up ventures, assist the emergence of profitable business operations and create long-term employment opportunities?

1^st Session: e-Commerce and m-Commerce: new perspectives

• Chairman Mr. Daewon Choi, Trade Division, UN/ECE

• Mr. Norman Sadeh, Scientific and Work Programme Coordinator Information Society Directorate-General, European Commission;
• Dr. Tiga Tita, Chairman/CEO-GMC-G77 TIN, USA;
• Mr. Gino Ussi, Director General, World Markets Research Centre

2^nd Session: The Internet and enterprise development: opportunities for Romania and South East Europe

• Chairman Mr. Dan Dascalu, National Institute for Microtechnology - National coordinator of the ESIS II-Romania project
• Mr. Daewon Choi, Internet Enterprise Development Trade Division, UN/ECE;
• Mr. Dennis O. Kundisch, Department of Information Systems University of Augsburg;
• Mr. Ted Lewry, Sales Manager, Emerging Markets Centre, Dun & Bradstreet, United Kingdom;
• Mr. Chris Clarke, Director, Finance and Trade – Austria and Eastern Europe, INFORMIX;

3rd Session : e-government and e-business

• Chairman of: Dr. Vasile Baltac, President, Romanian Association for Information Technology and Communications

4^th Session: Romanian legal framework for e-Business

• Chairman Ms. Cornelia Rotaru
• Varujan Pambuccian, Member of the Romanian Parliament;
• Dr. Vasile Baltac, President ATIC;
• Mr. Dan Dascalu and Mr. Corneliu Trisca-Rusu,National Institute for Microtechnology /National coordinator of the ESIS project

1.3 Fairs exhibitions and seminars

On October 3 – 6, 2000 the Export Consult official representative of Messe Wien organized the annual International Fair for Information Technology and Office Organization. In the next three weeks on October, 18-20, 2000 ARIES (Romanian Association of Software and Electronics Industries) organised in cooperation with Politechnica University Bucharest, National Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, National Agency for Communication and Informatics the BINARY 2000 National Exhibition for Software Production Evaluation (www.esis2.imt.ro).

An important event was organized on October 26, 2000 by "Piata Financiara Magazin" regarding convergence of IT&C market, financial market and banking (www.piatafinanciara.ro). At this event was participating banking representatives, IT&C companies, companies interested by e-Commerce solutions, etc.

On December 8-9, 2000 ESIS II-Romania project organized a Seminar-debate "Information Society Projects in ESIS II – Romania". The seminar was focused on major IS projects (informatization of Finance Ministry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Education, Romanian Customs Administration) and the new economy, e-commerce projects (SoftNet, Compaq Romania).