Who we are

FOUNDERS

The First European Digital Innovation Hub (eDIH) in the North-East Region

Launched in 2019, at the initiative of the North-East Regional Development Agency, in collaboration with universities, clusters, and numerous private companies specializing in technology and digital marketing in the region. These entities provide expertise, solutions, programs, and professionals to support digital transformation and innovation among SMEs and public institutions in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors.

Founders

Cristina Baghiu

Hub Coordinator, Digital Culture and Skills Group Leader

Atelierul de Idei & ONG DIZ President

Conf. Dr. Simona Caraiman

Academic coordinator and Test-before-invest Leader

Technical University “Gh. Asachi” Iasi

Lidia Bețoaea

Innovation Ecosystem Leader

North East Regional Development Agency

Georgiana Dragomir

Digital Communication Leader

Grapefruit

Carmen Mihai

Health Group Co-Leader

Imago-Mol

Conf. Dr. Ionuț Nistor, MD

Health Group Co-Leader

MAVIS Center, UMF Iași

Florin Cardașim

AI Group Leader

Strongbytes

Our History

Funded as a non-profit initiative.
Member of the international networks EIT Health, EIT manufacturing, DIH2, I4MS.
2019
2020
2021
2022
We became a fully operational DIH focused on Artificial Intelligence and advanced digital skills.
DIZ becomes the only eDIH in North-East Romania. We became a certified Change2Twin HUB and IT Cluster Ambassador.

We are part of several industry associations and DIH networks at EU level: DIH2, I4MS, DIH certified Change2Twin, EEN node, EIT Health and EIT Manufacturing.
We support successful and sustainable digital and green transformation in the region. We help SMEs and public hospitals advance their digital transformation. We support innovative companies to create new digital products and solutions.

What is a
European Digital Innovation Hub?

European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) are one-stop shops specializing in helping companies tackle digital challenges and become more competitive. These entities have a regional presence and a deep understanding of the needs and problems companies face in their area. Through the EDIH network, these hubs facilitate the exchange of best practices and provide needed skills that may not be available locally. With the support of EDIH hubs, companies have access to innovative services and training programs that help promote digital transformation.

The main activities carried out by EDIH are:
  • Providing technical expertise and the opportunity to test before investing in digital solutions.
  • Supports companies in improving business processes, production, products, or services through digital technologies.
  • Provides financial advice, training, and skills development required for successful digital transformation.

Our Objectives for 2021 - 2028

Our mission is to provide continuous support for assessing and improving the level of digitization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and local public administrations in the North-East Region. Additionally, we are committed to helping them identify suitable technological solutions, potential partners, and sources of funding needed to implement the solutions required to enhance their competitiveness, innovation index, and level of digitalization.

01.

Developing the concept of a one-stop-shop in the region through support services in the digitalization of companies and public institutions, covering the end-to-end process of digital innovation.

02.

Promoting regional, interregional, and international cooperation and collaboration among research, public, private, and academic sectors.

03.

Functioning as the epicenter of the regional digital innovation ecosystem in the North-East Region, taking a leadership role in the ICT sector and enhancing the ecosystem’s capacity.

04.

Transforming the workforce in the region into a highly digitized one, tailored to the needs of sectors with smart development potential in the region.

Extended Team of Digital Innovation Zone

North-East Regional Development Agency

Lidia Bețoaea

One Stop Shop Office Manager

Silviu Stoica

One Stop Shop Office Expert

Georgiana Nedelea

Foreign Cooperation Office Expert

Lidia Tepeș

Accounting Office Expert

Lucian Alexa

IT Office Expert

The North-East RDA stimulates and supports the exploitation of the regional potential.
We are a non-governmental, non-profit, public utility organization with legal personality, which contributes to reducing regional disparities by stimulating the economic, social and cultural development of the North-East Region. All the steps undertaken by our organization converge towards increasing the level of prosperity of the region and increasing the quality of life among the inhabitants. Therefore, the whole activity of ADR North-East is at the service of the general public – the inhabitants of the North-East Region.
We develop and promote regional development strategies, attract resources, identify and implement funding programs and provide services to sustainably stimulate economic growth, international partnerships and entrepreneurship.

Cristina Baghiu

Lead Consultant

Iulia-Marina Sofian

HR consultant

Raluca-Elena Pricop

HR consultant

Ciprian Baghiu

Expert In Education

Atelierul de Idei is an innovation and digital culture agency, focused on designing and facilitating change processes in organizations. We are active in the market of training programs since 2019 and leaders in the Agility niche for HR, Co-founders and Lead training programs advanced digital skills and digital culture in the Digital Innovation Zone and Co-founders of the community of practice for agile businesses – Agile People Romania. We are part of HR Club (RO), Workplace Innovation (UK) and Excellence Hub of EMCC Romania for Agile Coaching. The mission of the Idea Workshop is to help teams acquire agile management skills and digital transformation.

Georgiana Dragomir

Digital Communication Leader

Ancuța Ciocoiu

Digital Strategist

Irina Petrea

Digital Marketing Specialist

Grapefruit is an End-to-End digital agency with over 23 years of experience in the digital field and is the first Romanian agency specialized in user experience. It provides comprehensive digital consulting and services to multinational companies, helping them improve the value they deliver to customers, consumers and employees. With a diverse clientele from industries such as FMCG, Automotive and Energy and Finance, Grapefruit prides itself on strong and lasting partnerships built on trust and ongoing collaboration.

Irina TOMA

Project Manager

Denisa Dan

Access to Financing Coordinator

Oana Arsenoi

Communication Coordinator

Gabriel Comorașu

Expert

Iana Lomos

Expert

Iceberg is a market leader in consulting and technology services provided to private and public clients in Romania and the EU. Our business model is divided between B2B services for third parties and the implementation of projects funded by various donors, including the European Structural and Investment Funds, Horizon Europe, World Bank, BERD, etc. Over the last decade, our team of multidisciplinary experts has developed and implemented projects with a total value of over €400 million, covering topics such as infrastructure development, research and innovation, economic development, education and VET, digital transformation, e-government, etc.

Carmen Mihai

Cluster Manager and Innovation Expert in Medicine

Adrian Iftene

Medtech Coordinator of the Cluster and Senior AI and Healthtech Expert in the Project

Vasile Fotea

Cluster President and Health Expert in the Project

Diana Plugaru

Project Coordinator and Project Consultant

The North-East Regional Innovative Molecular and Structural Imaging Cluster (IMAGO-MOL), the only medical imaging cluster in Romania, is a non-governmental entity that aims to support the innovation and scientific competitiveness of its members, gathering under its umbrella 59 members from the region and beyond universities, companies, hospitals, facilitators, APLs, and other local organizations.

Lucian Niță

Project Manager

Nicu Popescu

Director

Iulia Weingold

PR & Copywriter

RomSoft is a software development company with Romanian capital, founded in 2001, in Iasi, by Nicu Popescu and Dorin Cristea. The company’s mission is to create applications that make people’s lives a little better. The applications we develop are intended for the medical field, various industries, or some socio-cultural areas. Our portfolio includes both commercial applications and research projects, especially with application in the medical field, telemedicine, e-health, self-health.

Florin Cardașim

Technology Expert And Community Builder

Mădalina Moisă

Project Manager And Community Builder

Claudiu Costan

Technology Expert And Community Builder

Constanța Ghițu

Technology Expert And Community Builder

Strongbytes is a technology company that provides software engineering and capacity building services for data-driven, cloud-enabled organizations working in sectors such as healthcare, finance, automotive, government and more. It helps companies improve their ability to consistently access and analyze data to make accurate decisions by providing core capabilities such as cloud applications, data platforms and Machine Learning.

Simona Caraiman

Project Manager

Cristina Baghiu

HUB Coordinator

Adrian Burlacu

Senior Expert

Constantin Catalin Dosoftei

Senior Expert

Robert Gabriel Lupu

Senior Expert

Nicolae Lucanu

Senior Expert

Maria Zauer

Project Assistant

Gabriela Popescu

Financial manager

TUIASI is one of the oldest and most renowned public higher education institutions in Romania, with an important tradition in engineering research and innovation. Our mission is to create and share scientific and technological knowledge for society and the environment, making significant contributions to global challenges in medicine, mobility, industry, or the environment. TUIASI supports digital transformation and innovation in the region by providing a comprehensive technical infrastructure and state-of-the-art expertise in areas such as AI, machine learning, data science, robotics, computer vision, industrial automation, digital twins, mixed reality applications, logistics demo cases with autonomous mobile robots, video inspection, etc.

Ionuț Nistor

Director of the Center for Innovation and Technological Transfer

Alexandru Plesoianu

Innovation and Technology Transfer Officer at CITT MAVIS

Natalia Erbiceanu

Administrative - Financial Manager at CITT MAVIS

Cojocariu Mădalina

Medical Bioengineer at CITT MAVIS

Gheorghe Mahu

Computer scientist at CITT MAVIS

The University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa” of Iasi, Romania, is a public higher education and research institution offering bachelor, master, doctoral and continuing medical education. It is accredited by the European University Association (EUA) and the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME). Named in honour of the scientist Grigore T. Popa, the University is classified by the Ministry of Education as a “university of research and advanced education”. The University is a complex higher education institution, comprising four faculties: Medicine, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine and Medical Bioengineering. With a teaching staff of 926, it trains around 10,000 students in 16 specialisations in three languages of instruction: Romanian, English and French.

Cristina Baghiu

Digital Innovation Zone Hub Coordinator

Lidia Bețoaea

Strategy Director

Adina Ghinea

Expert on Digitization of Public Institutions

Adelina Ezariu

Health Innovation Manager

Ștefana Aungurencei

Junior Finance Expert

Andreea Văculișteanu

Ecosystem Innovation Expert

Daniela Alexandrescu

Funding Programs Manager

Cristina Bulat

Communication Specialist

Ionuț Vărvăruc

Communication Expert

Vlad Marinescu

Assistant Projects

Nicoleta Rinzascu

Financial Director

Launched in 2019, at the initiative of the North-East Regional Development Agency, in collaboration with universities, clusters and numerous private companies specialized in technology and digital marketing in the region. These entities provide expertise, solutions, programs and professionals to support digital transformation and innovation among SMEs and public institutions in the health and manufacturing sectors.