Connecting AI, Digital Transformation, and Society: Inside Romania’s DIH4Society Initiative

Digital Transformation eXperience 2025 (DTX 2025) was organized by Cluj IT Cluster under the umbrella of DIH4Society

CLUJ-NAPOCA, TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA, October 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the heart of Transylvania, in the city of Cluj-Napoca, a quiet digital revolution is taking shape. Over the course of three days this autumn, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and students gathered to explore one of Europe’s most urgent questions: How can digital transformation truly serve society?

The event Digital Transformation eXperience 2025 (DTX 2025) was more than another tech conference. Organized by Cluj IT Cluster under the umbrella of DIH4Society, it became a living laboratory for the European ideal of human-centered digitalization. Discussions revolved around the same three forces shaping Europe’s future: digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and society and how to connect them meaningfully.

From Concepts to Real Impact

“Digital transformation is the phenomenon through which technology helps us be more efficient, but it also brings benefits to everyone involved,” said Professor Stelian Brad, president of Cluj IT Cluster and dean at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca.
For Stelian Brad and his colleagues, digital transformation is not an abstract goal. It’s something tangible, measured in the number of businesses, hospitals, and public administrations that learn to integrate AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity into their daily work.
At the center of these efforts stands DIH4Society, one of Romania’s European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), a structure supported by both the European Commission and the Romanian government through the Digital Europe Programme and PCIDIF. Its mission: to make Romania’s digital leap smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

A European Engine for Local Change

For the 2023–2029 period, DIH4Society aims to catalyze the digital progress of 250 companies and over 100 public and healthcare organizations across Romania’s North-West and South-West regions. Its work focuses on two technological pillars, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and one essential ingredient: digital skills.

The hub operates at the crossroads of several key sectors, from manufacturing and public administration to education, energy, and healthcare. “Digitization can only be effective when digital ecosystems are closely linked to the market sectors they serve,” notes Brad. “And these are precisely the areas where transformation is hardest but most needed.”

The Cluj Model: A Smart Territory in Practice

Perhaps the best example of DIH4Society’s impact is the ongoing digital transformation of the Cluj County Council. “We started this journey before the pandemic with a few internal champions who understood that digital transformation is the future,” explained Andrei Kelemen, CEO of Cluj IT Cluster.
Together, they developed a comprehensive digital strategy that introduced the concept of a smart territory into the local government’s agenda. One of the most visible outcomes is an integrated online platform for building permits, the first of its kind in Romania.
“What used to take months now takes just 18 days,” said Kelemen. “And we’re already integrating AI tools to make it even more efficient. This is exactly the type of transformation DIH4Society wants to replicate: practical, measurable, and human-centered.”

From Hackathons to Policy Dialogues

DTX 2025 wasn’t just about keynote speeches. It featured a cybersecurity hackathon that brought together over 40 students, from high schools and universities alike. In a delightful twist, the winning team consisted of high school students, a reminder that the next generation of innovators is already emerging.

The event also drew representatives of the European Commission and experts from digital innovation hubs across Slovenia, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, and Moldova. Together, they explored how EDIHs can work hand in hand with the European AI infrastructure and the newly launched Apply AI strategy, which comes with over €1 billion in EU funding.

The four central themes of the conference - EDIHs as pillars of Europe’s digital future, governance in the digital age, cybersecurity as the foundation of a digital society, and AI for society - framed a conversation that was both European in scope and local in impact.

A Digital Future Rooted in People

At its core, DIH4Society is about creating a bridge between technology and trust, innovation and inclusion. “It’s vital for our society and for Romania’s economy to equip young people with the skills they need for a future dominated by digital technology,” said Kelemen.
As Europe accelerates its investment in AI and digital resilience, DIH4Society stands as a model for how regional ecosystems can make this transformation real: one business, one institution, and one citizen at a time.

DIH4Society is implemented by Cluj IT Cluster, in partnership with the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, the University of Oradea, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bistrița-Năsăud.

The project is co-financed by the European Union (50%) under the Digital Europe Programme (DEP 101083952) and by the Romanian government (50%) under POCIDIF (DIH4Society SMIS 322960 – POCIDIF/1147/2/1/Action 2.4 EDIH).
DIH4Society contact details:
contact@dih4society.ro
+40 736 360 727

Bianca Padurean
Vox 7 Group Press
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