The National Institute for Research & Development in Informatics - ICI Bucharest

In 2024, ICI Bucharest was a catalyst for knowledge and collaboration by organizing over 10 workshops dedicated to the most relevant technological topics of the moment: ✅ Cybersecurity in the HoReCa Domain: Data Protection and Prevention of Digital Threats. ✅ Defense Industry: Dual Technologies and NATO Requirements. ✅ Harnessing HPC and AI: Open Source Innovations and Real-World Applications. ✅ Society 5.0. ✅ Fighting Disinformation. ✅ Introduction to Supercomputing and High Performance Computing (HPC): Including Python for Industry. ✅ The Future of Immersive Technologies in Romania. ✅ Communications for the Future: Research and Innovation in the Digital Age. These workshops brought together experts, professionals, and technology enthusiasts, strengthening digital skills and promoting collaboration across sectors. We thank all participants and partners who contributed to the success of these events.

In the spirit of the winter holidays, I would like to send you my warmest wishes for health, joy and fulfilment. Christmas is a time of gratitude, so I am glad that we have once again demonstrated our power to collaborate and achieve extraordinary things together. We confidently look to the future, ready to continue our mission to bring value through technology and research. I wish you happy holidays, peace in your soul, beautiful moments with your loved ones, and hope for the coming year! Sincerely, Victor Vevera General Director, ICI Bucharest

Through the efforts of the entire team, we contributed to the growth of digital skills in Romania, organising over 20 training and specialisation courses, including: ✅ Security Operations Center – SOC – as a template ✅ Internet of Things ✅ Big Data ✅ Cloud Technologies ✅ Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence ✅ Robotic Process Automation (RPA) ✅ Blockchain and Cyber-Physical Systems ✅ Additive Manufacturing Thus, we supported professionals, students, and technology enthusiasts in developing their skills in top fields that are essential for the global digital transformation. We thank all participants and trainers who turned these courses into real opportunities for learning and progress!

With the mission of accelerating society's digital transformation and supporting technological progress, we published over 50 scientific articles in the year that is soon to end. These articles contributed to advancing knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. At the same time, we strengthened collaborations with national and international institutions, putting Romania on the map of innovation. These achievements reflect our continuous effort to contribute to a safer, more connected, innovative society. We thank all the researchers, partners and collaborators who supported us in this mission.

2024 was a memorable year for us at ICI Bucharest! With passion and dedication, we focused on the digital transformation of society, launching over 15 innovative projects, including: ✅ Agerpres Daily News | Hold History – The first initiative in Romania that uses NFTs to transform authentic news into digital artefacts. ✅ AI Application – Agerpres News – Quality journalism assisted by artificial intelligence, adapted to local needs. ✅ Enkivers – the first European project at a global level to raise awareness, educate and inform the market on the security and securing of visual concepts. ✅ Cyber Security. Initiation for Seniors – Programs dedicated to the education of seniors in the field of cybersecurity. ✅ Cyber Polygon – Revolutionary solutions for energy sector security and automatic generation of virtual scenarios. ✅ NFT Museum plus the Guardians of Accountability: The Legacy of the Romanian Court of Accounts collections and the first dataNFT collection. ✅ The National Platform for the Digital Transformation of Romania and the Cyber Diplomacy Twinning Center – Initiatives that accelerate digitalisation and international cooperation. We are happy to contribute to a safer, more innovative, more digitalised future through technology and knowledge. We thank the team, partners and everyone who supported us!

ICI Bucharest participated in the first edition of the event "The Future of Insurance in the Field of Transport, Expeditions and Logistics", organized by CLUB ANTREPRENOR and Ziarul Pozitiv. The event took place at the Palace of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This meeting, dedicated to the sustainable development of the transport, expeditions and logistics industries, brought together experts from regulatory institutions, professional associations, insurance and brokerage companies, and private sector representatives. The event addressed topical topics such as the identification and management of conduct risks in the life cycle of insurance products, the evolution of prices for RCA, Casco, CMR and other types of insurance policies in 2025, sustainable solutions for the challenges in the field of transport, especially those related to RCA policies, financial education for entrepreneurs in the sector. ICI Bucharest's participation in this event highlights the importance of collaboration between technology and insurance and the essential role of research and development in creating a sustainable and resilient ecosystem for the transport and logistics industries.

ICI Bucharest, through the National Competence Center for High-Performance Computing (RoNCC - EuroCC Romania), organized the online event "Harnessing HPC and AI: Open Source Innovations and Real-World Applications", held on Monday, December 16, 2024. The webinar brought together experts in the field of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on using open-source tools, such as Scikit-learn, in the HPC ecosystem. Topics discussed included the integration of the open-source machine learning ecosystem into the HPC infrastructure, presentations of concrete applications, highlighting how AI and HPC stimulate innovation, relevant case studies from Romania, Austria, the Netherlands and Spain, and solutions successfully implemented from the early stages. During the Q&A session, participants had the opportunity to ask questions to the invited experts and delve deeper into the topics discussed, thus facilitating the exchange of knowledge and good practices at the European level. The event is part of RoNCC's initiatives to promote innovative solutions and cross-border collaboration in the field of HPC and AI, thus strengthening Romania's role in the European digital skills ecosystem.

ICI Bucharest announces signing a partnership agreement with Professional Women’s Network Romania (PWN Romania ) which promotes female leadership. The goal of the collaboration is to advance the involvement of women in leadership positions through access to technology, digital education and innovative initiatives. This partnership aims to contribute to forming a generation of leaders capable of combining technological skills with strategic vision, encouraging women to take a central role in digitalisation and organisational transformation. “This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting women in becoming leaders in the digital age. ICI Bucharest has the resources and expertise necessary to address the challenges of digitalisation, and the collaboration with PWN Romania offers us the opportunity to contribute to the formation of a more diverse and future-ready leadership”, said Victor Vevera , General Director of ICI Bucharest. The collaboration between ICI Bucharest and PWN Romania is a unique opportunity to combine technological expertise with leadership initiatives, increasing women's access to digital skills and stimulating diversity and innovation in key areas.

ICI Bucharest participated in the anniversary conference organized by the Institutul European din România - European Institute of Romania (IER) on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The event, held on Thursday, December 12, 2024, with the theme "Together for a Stronger Europe! IER@25", brought together government officials, experts, journalists and members of the academic environment, strengthening the dialogue on the future of Romania in the European Union. The conference provided the opportunity to reflect on the institutional journey of the IER and essential themes for the future of Europe: the resilience of public institutions, technology and democracy, global challenges, and Romania in the EU. The debates highlighted the importance of an open dialogue to strengthen our country's position in the European Union, in the context of the 18th anniversary of EU membership in 2025. ICI Bucharest highlighted, through the interventions of its representatives, the essential role of technology in supporting a more united and efficient European Union. Digitalization plays a central role in promoting transparency, efficiency and inclusion in European public policies. Through international collaborations and projects, the institute actively contributes to the development of a knowledge-based society.

The National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest) organized the "Defense Industry Facing Dual Technologies and NATO Requirements" workshop on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. The event hosted at ICI Bucharest's headquarters, brought together defense experts, local integrators, and defense industry representatives. The workshop's main objective was to strengthen collaboration between the defense industry, the technology sector, and international partners. It focused on integrating dual technologies—technologies that can be used for civilian and military purposes—into modern defense strategies. Invited to speak at the opening of the event, Ricardo Pelaez the Counselor for Commercial Affairs and Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Southeast Europe at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration and innovation between both national and international companies. He stated, "Collaboration is essential to stimulate dialogue on critical security and innovation issues. This event highlights our joint commitment to addressing global challenges.” In a recent message, Bogdan Gruia Ivan, the Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, highlighted the importance of technology in enhancing national security. The interactive sessions covered a range of topics, including dual-use technologies and their implications for national and international security. They also discussed NATO standards, the need for local industries to adapt to these requirements, and the role of public-private partnerships in developing defense solutions. “In a rapidly changing world, collaboration between governments and industry is essential for addressing security challenges. Through this workshop, we aim to support joint efforts in developing and integrating dual-use technologies in defense, in accordance with NATO standards and requirements,” stated Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI Bucharest. The "Defense Industry Facing Dual Technologies and NATO Requirements" workshop significantly enhances relations between Romania, NATO, and the international community. The conclusions and recommendations from today's discussions will serve as a foundation for future initiatives to accelerate the defense sector's development and bolster regional and global security.