The National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics – ICI Bucharest participated on June 18, 2026, at the Innovation Forum & Awards 2026, an event organised by The Diplomat-Bucharest.
During this event, Adrian-Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI Bucharest, received the Innovation Ambassador award for his leadership in innovation, and the partnership between ICI Bucharest and Politehnica Bucharest was recognised in the Academic–Industry Partnership category for developing Romania's first AI factory.
In his speech, the General Director of the institute emphasised the value of collaboration between the research environment, academia, public administration and industry, the importance of the RO AI Factory project in positioning Romania as an actor on the European market in the area of emerging technologies and the need for the use of these technologies to be guided by ethics and regulations.
"We started creating the ecosystem before the AI infrastructure was functional. The ecosystem means that we are moving from insularity to bringing the academic environment closer - most universities have shown their availability and desire to be part of this ecosystem, research institutes - there are a few that have shown this intention, the private sector - was the most open to coming alongside us, and for the public sector, we take care of and present these things, precisely to give them that space in which they can develop and lead to the implementation of solutions that increase the quality of citizen interaction with public entities and increase the quality of the act of governance by reducing the speed of communication." stated Adrian-Victor Vevera.
The event brought together representatives of top companies, entrepreneurs, policymakers and technology specialists to discuss the latest topics in innovation, serving as a platform to promote projects, technologies and solutions that stimulate productivity, sustainability and competitiveness.
Developing and testing artificial intelligence solutions requires computing resources and technical expertise that not all companies have at their disposal. The services offered by the European BSC AI Factory project to address these needs were presented by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics – ICI Bucharest at GoTech World 2026, held on 10–11 November at Romexpo.
How can virtual and augmented reality technologies help people prepare for emergencies, improve interactions with public services, or create new ways of learning? These were among the applications presented by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics – ICI Bucharest at the “1st Regional Workshop to Strengthen the Central, Eastern European and Balkan Virtual Worlds Ecosystem”, held in Budapest, Hungary.
How can Europe prepare for the security challenges of the coming years, amid geopolitical instability, hybrid threats, and the rapid development of new technologies? These questions were at the heart of the conference “Towards Europe 2040: How Can We Anticipate Change and Build a Secure and Resilient Future?”, held in Bucharest on 9 November 2026 at the European Parliament Liaison Office in Romania.
