From June 9–10, 2026, the Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) team attended the EDIH Summit 2026, the landmark annual event held in Brussels. The summit brought together the entire European network of Digital Innovation Hubs, EU institutions, member states, AI infrastructure representatives, and technology leaders to analyze the practical operations of the European artificial intelligence ecosystem.
As generative and agentic AI continue to reshape the business landscape, support structures are adapting in real time. Sessions explored the vital connections that EDIHs forge between organizations and strategic actors such as AI Factories or Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs). For DIZ, participating in the summit represented a major opportunity to strengthen international ties, with these knowledge exchanges providing valuable resources to accelerate the development of the innovation ecosystem in North-East Romania.
Beyond general strategic sessions, Digital Innovation Zone played an active coordination role, facilitating two high-impact international workshops on June 10.
Workshop 1: Assessing Ethical Risks and AI Readiness
Workshop: “Are we really ready? Mapping AI ethics and readiness risks in EDIH led technology transfer” – June 10
The DIZ team—represented by Cristina Baghiu (Hub Coordinator), Adelina Marinescu (Senior Innovation Manager), and Irina Robuleț (Public Funding Expert)—guided the workshop “Are we really ready? Mapping AI ethics and readiness risks in EDIH led technology transfer.”
Together with other European innovation hubs, participants explored a practical tool and self-assessment model focused on the responsible use of artificial intelligence, data rule clarity, governance, and internal skill sets. Key takeaways from the session highlighted current organizational realities:
- Widespread Adoption: 64% of participants use AI tools daily or almost daily in their work.
- Compliance Challenges: 31% of attendees noted frequent use of unofficial or unapproved AI tools within their organizations (“Shadow AI”).
- Need for Guidance: Top priorities identified for the near future include employee training on AI ethics, alignment with strict regulatory requirements such as the EU AI Act, drafting practical guidelines, and presenting concrete operational use cases.
Workshop 2: Expanding Digital Frontiers in Associated Countries
Workshop: “New EDIH Frontiers: From Capabilities to Collaboration in Associated Countries” – June 10
In partnership with GIZ and FundingBox, Digital Innovation Zone co-organized the workshop “New EDIH Frontiers: From Capabilities to Collaboration in Associated Countries.”
This event is part of a series of activities supported by GIZ under the Digital Transformation of SMEs in Eastern Partnership Countries (DT4SME) project—an initiative in which DIZ serves as a contracted expert to build up EDIH capacities in associated countries.
The session was moderated by Lidia Mocanu (Strategy Director at DIZ) alongside Graciela Garrido (Head of Sale at FundingBox) and highlighted concrete examples of cross-border cooperation between hubs in Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Spain, Hungary, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through practical case studies, participants demonstrated how complementary expertise across Europe directly contributes to delivering high-value services to companies undergoing digital transformation.
Reaffirming DIZ’s Maturity on the European Stage
Coordinating these international initiatives serves as a renewed confirmation of Digital Innovation Zone’s maturity and recognition as a regional leader within the European network. The solid experience gained through delivering innovation services allows us to act as a proactive driver in transferring best practices.
All these close connections with other European regions and associated countries will be leveraged locally, opening up new commercial and technological opportunities designed to accelerate the economic growth of Romania’s North-East region.
We extend our congratulations to the organizers and thank all partners in the European Digital Innovation Hubs Network for their vision and collaboration!
