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AmCham Romania News AmCham Romania shared the vision on Romania’s digital transformation with the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Ciprian Teleman

AmCham Romania shared the vision on Romania’s digital transformation with the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Ciprian Teleman

February 9, 2021

 On February 4th AmCham Romania shared the vision on Romania’s digital transformation with the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Ciprian Teleman in a meeting focused on the implementation of the digital transformation agenda and Romania’s opportunities to capitalize on this highly prioritized area within the EU Financing framework.  

Minister Teleman started his presentation by mentioning the eight areas for reform that the Romanian Government will propose for EU Financing within the National Resilience and Reform Plan:  

  • Government data architecture (Cloud, interoperability, registers),  
  • “Digital highways” to facilitate data transfers (between the authorities, and mostly between ADR - Ministry of Health – Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure - Ministry for Development, Public Works and Administration 
  • Digitalization of public services (ANAF, healtheducation),  
  • Interconnectivity of data centers (transvers, e.g. Minister of Environment) 
  • Smart cities (promotion of innovative technologies) 
  • Romania’s digital competitiveness (stimulating the AI/ block chain solutions, skills development) 
  • Digital infrastructure for cybersecurity (developing innovation centers, skills and incentives for SMEs to adopt security solutions) 
  • Digital society (Internet as public utility, increase the digital skills competences for public servants, teachers, SMEs, seniors) 

The dialogue also covered other areas of interest on AmCham’s advocacy agenda for the digital economy sector, such as:

  • The ID card and electronic signature, which Minister Teleman confirmed to be on the Minister’s agenda. Currently the focus is on simplifying the procedures. 
  • The governmental data which must be open, a process that Minister will facilitate.
  • AmCham’s reinforced recommendation for a single authority for the coordination of the digital transformation process was shared by Minister Teleman.  
  • The need for the RDI to be a pillar for attracting high value-added investments and skilled labor force back to Romania. Sustained efforts are needed to improve Romania’s poor RDI performance, such as a clear legislative framework allowing existing RDI fiscal incentives to be accessed by companies, and the opportunity for Romania to introduce the Patent Box system in Romania. Regarding the existing fiscal incentives hardly applicable, follow up discussions with the Ministry of Finance and Education are to be organized. On RDI Minister Teleman shared the same concern and mentioned that while the infrastructure is good, the greatest challenge is the severe lack of human resources, due to the massive brain drain. The solutions envisioned by the Minister include ensuring a predictable financing framework to attract researchers from diaspora, using the PNRR funds to finance the needed technological transfer is an important point in PNRR and making RDI an overall priority of his mandate.
  • ANAF digitalization  should also be a priority project for attracting PNRR financing.
  • An inventory of existing IT systems used by public institutions is also on the Minister’s agenda with the purpose of deciding which applications are worth further investments and which should be replaced with new systems.
  • Inter-institutional collaboration: given the fact that digitalization is a cross-cutting aspect, a transversal relationship will be developed with all ministries and there will be a contact person in every ministry. 
  • The opportunities created by digitalization for the health system to build efficiency and transparency in the management of the financial resources were presented and to this end it is essential for the Ministry of Digitalization and the Ministry of Health to agree a manner of collaboration and coordination on the topic of eHealth, while the industry and the private sector should be involved in order to bring its expertise into the process. Minister Teleman confirmed that a point of contact will be established in order to ensure liaison between the two line ministries. Quick wins, AmCham believes, can be implemented with minor costs and deliver major results include the use of telemedicine and of electronic registries. Mid to long term, health digitalization will improve general management and provision of healthcare services, the patient journey from diagnosis to treatment and data exchange for research and health innovation.

Minister Teleman proposed to have regular updates regarding the developments on the topics discussed at the meeting. 

AmCham’s vision and policy recommendations shared with Minister Teleman on February 4th are outlined in the Priorities for Romania 2021- 2024  document and the Digital Transformation AmCham position paper and were emphasized in this context by members of the AmCham Board: Ionut Simion, Omer Tetik, Dorin Pena, Elisabeta Moraru, Alina Orban, Sevan Kaloustian and Roberto Musneci. 

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