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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\u2019s most urgent questions: How can digital transformation truly serve society?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event Digital Transformation eXperience 2025 ( DTX 2025<\/a> ) was more than another tech conference. Organized by Cluj IT Cluster<\/a> under the umbrella of DIH4Society<\/a>, it became a living laboratory for the European ideal of human-centered digitalization. Discussions revolved around the same three forces shaping Europe\u2019s future: digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and society and how to connect them meaningfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Concepts to Real Impact<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDigital transformation is the phenomenon through which technology helps us be more efficient, but it also brings benefits to everyone involved,\u201d said Professor Stelian Brad, president of Cluj IT Cluster and dean at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Stelian Brad and his colleagues, digital transformation is not an abstract goal. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the center of these efforts stands DIH4Society, one of Romania\u2019s 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\u2019s digital leap smarter, safer, and more sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A European Engine for Local Change<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the 2023\u20132029 period, DIH4Society aims to catalyze the digital progress of 250 companies and over 100 public and healthcare organizations across Romania\u2019s North-West and South-West regions. Its work focuses on two technological pillars, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and one essential ingredient: digital skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hub operates at the crossroads of several key sectors, from manufacturing and public administration to education, energy, and healthcare. \u201cDigitization can only be effective when digital ecosystems are closely linked to the market sectors they serve,\u201d notes Brad. \u201cAnd these are precisely the areas where transformation is hardest but most needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Cluj Model: A Smart Territory in Practice<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps the best example of DIH4Society\u2019s impact is the ongoing digital transformation of the Cluj County Council. \u201cWe started this journey before the pandemic with a few internal champions who understood that digital transformation is the future,\u201d explained Andrei Kelemen, CEO of Cluj IT Cluster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Together, they developed a comprehensive digital strategy that introduced the concept of a smart territory into the local government\u2019s agenda. One of the most visible outcomes is an integrated online platform for building permits, the first of its kind in Romania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat used to take months now takes just 18 days,\u201d said Kelemen. \u201cAnd we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Hackathons to Policy Dialogues<\/p>\n\n\n\n DTX 2025 wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u20ac1 billion in EU funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The four central themes of the conference – EDIHs as pillars of Europe\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Digital Future Rooted in People<\/p>\n\n\n\n At its core, DIH4Society is about creating a bridge between technology and trust, innovation and inclusion. \u201cIt\u2019s vital for our society and for Romania\u2019s economy to equip young people with the skills they need for a future dominated by digital technology,\u201d said Kelemen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 Bistri\u021ba-N\u0103s\u0103ud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u2013 POCIDIF\/1147\/2\/1\/Action 2.4 EDIH).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the heart of Transylvania, in the city of Cluj-Napoca, a quiet digital revolution is taking shape. 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