Digital UP: a real campaign for a digital world

The National Confederation of Women's Entrepreneurship (CONAF) launches the DigitalUP project, in Constanța, on September 12, with the aim of bringing together entrepreneurs, with decision-makers from the central and local administration, with multinational companies providing digital solutions, in order to define of local SME acceleration tools, a springboard for smart business scaling.

Romania is on the 27th place out of 27, in the European top of digital progress and as much as we are proud of our children's intelligence, we have the duty not only to keep up with them, but also to determine them to stay in the labor market in Romania, alongside we. We cannot do this without a technological business environment, aligned with European and world trends. Paradoxically, the radiography of digital Romania is a combination of weaknesses and opportunities. We have the advantage of connectivity above the European average, of low costs, but the share of those using these offers is below the European average. The level of so-called digital literacy is only 31%, almost half of the European average (58%). We have talented specialists, but to reach the ability to use this advantage, we need investment. However, there is another advantage: in Romania, women represent 26% of IT specialists, while the European average is 19%.

CONAF's involvement in projects that support the digital development of small and medium-sized businesses is precisely due to this favorable score, which places us at the top of the ranking of women's participation in the field of information technology. Our actions do not stop at 6 key cities in Romania, where we will sit face to face until we find a solution. We want to build a functional way of communication between entrepreneurs and providers of functional digital tools, whether they are called authorities, decision-making forums or companies.

At the end of this project we will have tangible things, roadmaps for our governors, login keys to a digital sphere accessible to entrepreneurs in any field.

The tech companies, the unicorns and all the entrepreneurs in the software area, who are written about in dizzying numbers, are Romania's VIPs, but the 80% contribution to the state budget represents profit also made by entrepreneurs from agriculture, heavy industry, HORECA, textiles. So, for them too, we need to find digital tools that are easy to use and, above all, easy to implement.

Heavyweight partners have joined us, but we welcome anyone who wants to join our efforts, regardless of the caliber of their business. The CONAF table is always round and if we decide that someone sits "at the head of the table", it is the one who has the solution for the future, education, gender equality and equal opportunities.

"We look forward to seeing you in Constanța, Monday, September 12, at the Mamaia Diplomatic Complex. From 10:30 we will start debating, informing, educating, finding solutions and we will not stop until we find them. Digital UP is the fourth major national project of CONAF and I am convinced that its success will be commensurate with the importance of the issues we will debate", said Cristina Chiriac, president of CONAF.

The speakers present at the first Digital Up event will be Sabin Sărmaș, president of the IT&C Commission, Chamber of Deputies, Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization, Tudorita Lungu, state secretary at the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Mihai Lupu, president of the Constanța County Council, Florin Vișoiu, National Sales Director Vodafone Business, Alexandru Băloi, Global Partner Solutions Director Microsoft Romania, Ana Maria Stancu, CEO Bucharest Promo Robots, Cristian China Birta, founder of Kooperativa 2.0, Nicoleta Munteanu, vice-president of CONAF and founder of Kids in Business, Ionuț Cristian Ciubotaru, OMV business development vice president, Cristian Covaciu, IPEC administrator, Bianca Muntean, Co-Founder Transilvania Digital Innovation Hub, Dana Cireașa, Netspace founder, CONAF Brăila president, Alexandru Cartoafă, Juridiq founder and Irina Zamfir, EasySales chief revenue officer

After Constanța, the project will arrive on October 19 in Brașov and on November 2 in Iasi. Participation is free, and we await confirmation at [email protected].

"Digital UP - Entrepreneurial Development for SMEs" is a national project initiated by CONAF and supported by Vodafone Business.

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