More than 100 start-ups and innovation organizations from South South Eastern will be part of a task force to increase technology adoption in the region

This task force is supported by the European Commission and was launched by the Romanian Association for Technology Start-ups – ROTSA, European Startup Network, Bulgarian Business Forums. At the launch event was also present Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport.

More than 100 start-ups and innovation organizations from South South Eastern Europe will be part of a task force that aims to increase the adoption of technology and support the internationalization of start-ups in the region. The initiative was announced Friday, on December 8th, at the UiPath Romania headquarters and was attended by Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport.

The group will bring together start-ups, large companies and European innovation authorities. Among the organizations that will be part of this group are companies such as UiPath, Nevomo, EVConnect, Tracking BG and Simsoft.

Members of the group will meet regularly to discuss projects to be implemented, and those who wish to be part of the group can register their interest in joining the task force at contact@rotsa.ro.

“In transport we need innovation and we need to bring people together, as your proposed task force does. This is a way for the start-up community to interact with the authorities in Brussels and I am happy to support such an initiative that started in Romania. I am a great believer in the projects that can result from the coagulation of ideas when people come together and I believe that this task force will increase the innovation capacity of South East Europe in the field of transport and related areas”, said Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport, at the event “Innovation in European Transport Policies”.

“Romania has the capacity to be an aggregator and a leader in innovation for the South Eastern Europe region, and this task force will create a continuous dialogue between the voice of start-ups, companies, investors and national and European authorities. In this way, we will support, on the one hand, the increased adoption of technology and, on the other hand, the internationalization of companies in the region. This is just one of the programs we are developing to support the regional innovation and start-up ecosystem”, said Cristian Dascălu, President of the Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA).

“History has shown us that technology can help us make a step forward in terms of our existing capabilities in the transport field, but also in any other field. Access to technology can also create crucial links and collaborations for progress and help bridge development gaps between regions. Specifically, the creation of a strong digital infrastructure contributes directly to accelerating the creation of physical transport infrastructure. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based automation can be the common link between organizations that want to innovate, public sector organizations, and customers and citizens who want better services. We welcome the creation of a formal and predictable framework for further dialogue between the South-South Eastern European start-up community and the authorities in Brussels, under the patronage of Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean, and we are pleased to be part of this task force”, said Alexandru Mihailciuc, Vice President Global Sales Engineering at UiPath.

“Central and South-Eastern Europe have seen a significant increase in the number of technology startups in recent years, and the transport sector is becoming more and more well-represented in this regard. We hope that the meeting with the European Commissioner Adina Valean will further boost this field which is in great need of funding, good legislation and especially well-trained people. Next year, we will close first contracts for our MagRail Booster, which will allow fully automated and independent operations of single wagons within ports and terminals. We are also advancing with our ultimate MagRail technology, which will enable reaching speeds of up to 550 kph within existing railway corridors and, according to recent study of Oliver Wyman, save over 40 million of tonnes of CO2 annually”, said Przemek Ben Pączek, CEO and Co-founder Nevomo, a Polish startup.

“Romania has still important steps to make in the transport and infrastructure field, but an important contribution can come from new, innovative projects such as those developed by start-ups. The support of the European institutions is essential for the business environment and especially for start-ups given their vulnerability, but we believe that the meeting with Mrs. Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport, will make known what we need. With our almost 10 years experience dedicated in EV charging infrastructure and more than 500 charging stations operated by now in Romania, we are prepared to active participate in the European plans for electrification of the countries, environment improvement by decreasing CO2, contributing at the main goal of European Commission to have available charging infrastructure at each 60 Km”, stated Mihai Dragoș Ciobanu, CEO &Co-founder EVconnect, one of the first developers in Romania of a network of electric car charging stations.

The event was attended by representatives of start-ups, companies, national and European authorities, including speakers such as Jan Bormans – CEO European Startup Network; Dimitar Vasilev Ivanov – Chairman of Management Board Bulgarian Business Forums; Isabelle Vandoorne  – Deputy Head of Unit, Innovation and Research at DG MOVE; Robert Schröder – Head of Sector External Communication European Innovation Council (EIC); Fredrik Hånell  – Director of Investments European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Urban Mobility; Octavia Stepan – Head of Sector, Integrated Transport and Cities at The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA); Ramona Moldovan – General Deputy Secretary Ministery of Energ; Przemek Ben Pączek – CEO & Co-founder Nevomo; Mihai Dragoș Ciobanu – CEO & Co-founder EVconnect; Alexandru Mihailciuc – Vice President, Sales Engineering UiPath; Cristian Dascălu –  Chairman The Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA); Cristina Țoncu – Co-founder & Programs Partner Techcelerator.