As vice-president of Smart City Association and a long-time collaborator on business development, investments and financing, Sandra Tanase, Managing Partner EBC, was present on December 11, at the 4th edition of the Smart City Industry Awards Gala, the most important event of the Smart City Industry in Romania. The gala took place at the Parliament Palace, where over 400 of the most important decision-makers in the industry participated. In the competition were registered 101 projects, three times the number of projects in 2018. Projects from all sizes communities, localities, and communes to the big municipalities were submitted for trial.
Within the event was launched the most important program for the development of smart communities in Romania, the 2030 Romanian Charter. This is an important step by which the leaders present at the event have assumed the common values proposed for the development of the communities in Romania for the next 10 years:
It is perhaps our most important initiative as an association at the level of local administrations. That means to be honest, to assume this Charter, to assume this declaration. Romania will be digital in 2030,
stated Eduard Dumitrașcu, president of the Romanian Association for Smart City.
This year, the president of the jury was last year’s big winner, the Mayor of Cluj Napoca, Mr. Emil Boc. He had a special message for the audience:
Technology is a tool by which we can improve the quality of people’s lives, but we must assure that this will actually happen in Romania. It is clear that we went on a trend and there is no way back. The dimension of research, development, innovation, will bring us as quickly as possible more and more new technologies that will influence our daily lives. It is a pity that Romania does not take advantage of this advantage offered by technology.
Emil during his speech at Smart City Gala
The Mayor of the Cluj-Napoca Municipality, a supporter of the Smart City concept and an open leader in innovative ideas and technologies, expressed his hope in the future of Romania:
Perhaps we will never be the best in the automotive industry or in other fields, but, at the innovation dimension, at the Smart City component, for creativity in this field, we can reach the decision-makers’ table and, given that the future is increasingly dependent on the digital area, that Europe has become increasingly digital, that the single market will be increasingly digital, that we will live in a Europe that will increasingly connect to the Internet of Things and all that digital devices mean, by the fact that 5G technology will revolutionize the relationships between smart devices, not just the relationships of all people, all these things can place Romania in the future, winning dimension. Last but not least, these things will help keep our talents at home and bring those who have left home again. Because, in the end, this is the most important project we have. To keep our talents at home and to return those who left. By far, the human resource is the most important resource on the planet!
Daniel Băluță, Mayor of Bucharest’s 4th district has won the most prestigious distinction for the leaders of the local administrations, Mayor of the Year:
You will see that this is just the beginning, you were talking about elements that have already been delivered to people. The number one goal, which we all still have and that is why this initiative and this gala is commendable, is to solve the needs of communities and people. I am extremely happy to tell you that we have already started the construction of a hospital in the 4th district. I am happy to tell you that by the end of spring, the procedure for a subway train will be completed. We are the first city hall of any district that builds a subway, so we do not discuss a project, we discuss reality and many other normal things, for the community I represent. The final goal is to make the 4th district City Hall, the Capital of the Capital, if possible. I must mention that I left from a pretty low point. We all work to make it number one.
Daniel Baluta, Bucharest’s 4th district Mayor, receiving his award
Mihai Chirica, Mayor of Iași, raised the big prize of the evening, Best Smart City Project of the Year:
I am sure we all deserve this award, all of us who understood that Romania must change in a normal country, connected to Europe and the world. Here we have to follow this smart path. Of course, as mayors we have even more tasks, we have to connect very well to the needs of those who we represent. Between technology and people, we must always choose people, they are the ones who need technology. We must perhaps reform the concept – it must be both smart and wise, we must put technology to the soul so that whatever we do brings us closer, it allows us to identify with who we are. We are Romanians, we have a beautiful country, worthy, with people who can overcome certain customs and can reach the European train that, unfortunately, has departed a little from us. We have this mission, the force is with us, the mission is with us, and of course, the power lies in the unity of all Romanians to make things change for the better.
Mihai Chirica, Iasi Mayor, receiving his award
See the full list of all Smart City Industry Awards 2019 Winner here.
