On Friday, 21 November 2025, the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași (TUIASI) hosted #DIZisITDay, an event dedicated to cybersecurity and digital innovation, organized by Digital Innovation Zone EDIH (DIZ), TUIASI, and the Technical University of Moldova (UTM).
The event took place at TUIASI’s Faculty of Industrial Design and Business Management, in the SMARTER Room, bringing together students, PhD candidates, international experts, company representatives, and public authorities.
Event Theme: Advanced Education and Digital Hubs for Strengthening Cybersecurity and Supporting SMEs
#DIZisITDay focused on three main pillars, integrated within the international programs MERIT, XDIH – Cross-border Digital Innovation Hub, and CAMPUS:
- Education and digital skills through the MERIT program
- Support for SMEs and digitalization through the cross-border XDIH
- Regional resilience and public policies through the CAMPUS advisory group
Participants explored practical cybersecurity solutions, engaged with international experts such as Marius Dumitrașcu, Head of Research, Training and Partnerships at Cybercor, and learned about new research and collaboration opportunities between universities and companies.
Event Agenda
10:00 – 10:30 | Participant Check-in & Networking
The day began with a check-in and networking session, giving attendees the chance to connect with students, academics, experts, and company representatives.
10:30 – 12:30 | Workshop 1: MERIT International Industry Engagement Workshop on Cybersecurity
International moderators and speakers presented diverse perspectives on cybersecurity and digitalization:
- Marius Dumitrașcu, CYBERCOR: Education for the growing cybersecurity community
- Ioana Călărașu, NCC Romania: Funding opportunities and NCC-RO initiatives aligned with the Cyber Resilience Act and NIS2
- Kenneth Lind, RISE Sweden: Policy options for mitigating risks in complex systems
- Sebastiaan Schuemie, Rijkswaterstaat CIV: Cyber resilience of critical infrastructure in the water sector
The workshop concluded with an interactive collaborative discussion, offering students and companies practical insights into cybersecurity.
12:30 – 13:00 | Lunch Break
A continued opportunity for active networking among students, professors, experts, and SME representatives.
13:00 – 14:30 | Workshop 2: RO–MD Partnerships for Resilience
This session explored the role of TUIASI and UTM within the XDIH – Cross-border Digital Innovation Hub, showcasing real examples of Romania–Moldova collaborations and ways SMEs can leverage digital hubs for assessments, training, and pilot solutions.
Speakers:
- Marius Dumitrașcu (Head of Research, Training and Partnerships, Cybercor)
- Cătălin Mironeanu (Cybersecurity expert, Assistant Professor @ Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași) – Cybersecurity skills needs and EDIH solutions
15:00 – 16:00 | CAMPUS Regional Advisory Working Group on Cybersecurity
The event brought together key private, academic, and institutional actors from the North-East region for a practical, results-oriented session.
Discussions were informed by contributions from participants who took part in the study visit to Rennes (Brittany, France), providing a shared basis for analysis.
European best practices were reviewed, and realistic approaches for adapting them to the regional context were explored.
Participants identified shared priorities for cooperation and development in cybersecurity and aligned these with existing regional capabilities. By the end, they agreed to continue the collaboration and maintain a common working framework for the next phase.
Why #DIZisITDay Matters
- For students and PhD candidates: A unique opportunity to see how cybersecurity works in real projects and to engage directly with international experts.
- For companies and SMEs: Applied discussions on strengthening cybersecurity and connecting to cross-border digital innovation networks.
- For the North-East region: The MERIT, CAMPUS, and XDIH initiatives support collaboration between universities, authorities, and businesses to enhance digital resilience.
Through #DIZisITDay, the Digital Innovation Zone strengthened its role as a regional hub for education and digital innovation, bringing together education, SMEs, and public policy in the field of cybersecurity.
