The main objective of the project is to increase the international visibility of the Romanian scientific community, in particular of those of the project partners, with the purpose to increase the degree of correlation and integration in the European and international research programmes. To fulfill this objective several activities are planned to support the development of partnerships between the teams involved in this project and similar research teams from Europe. New networks at the European level will be developed in the specific research field (IST) and R&D activities in the frame of the current international partnership will be extended including also the preparation of common projects for the EU workprogrammes. The project will improve and reinforce the Romanian research capacity within the IST area, by developing and strengthening the research at the institutions involved in this project with the aim of becoming competitive participants in work carried out at international level within the ERA. A consequence of research excellence and of being recognized as a competitive partner is the objective of improved participation in European research projects, both by increasing direct involvement by the project partners as well as by stimulating participation from Romania. For the goal of improved participation by the project partners, one measure is increasing the partners contribution in the European research projects and networks in which it currently participates (within FP6 and other programmes), in terms of number of workpackages and amount of activities. Another concrete measure is the participation of project partners within proposals submitted to future calls in FP7 or other international calls involving research, collaboration or management activities. The objective of increasing European research participation by Romania in general is closely linked to the goal of increased scope for the activities of the project partners. A measure of increased scope will be given by information activities concerning participation in the EU framework programmes, in which the partners will disseminate their experience in European projects participation. Their success will be gauged by the involvement of other research centres but more importantly of industrial partners in European project preparation. A long term objective is to improve networking both within Romania and visibility abroad. A first step is a full awareness of the Romanian IST potential and its specialists, necessary both inside Romania and in the European Community. This can be achieved by a strong dissemination of the research results, their practical impact and current implementation inside and outside Romania, at international scientific events and brokerage meetings. The project includes the organization of such events. Networking within Romania involves working closely with other IST excellence centres and with national institutions and organizations. Previous experience of the proposers in research activities involving multiple institutions from Romania and in management activities involving regional administrative institutions (as the IT Park initiated by the Coordinator in association with the two Partners) are a warranty of the success in creating a national research network in IST within the targeted thematic priorities. One measure for the success of increased networking, nationally and internationally, will be the number of joint scientific publications with researchers outside the project partners, as a result of research visits in both directions. Another concrete measure will be in context the participation in joint research projects already at the national level, the emphasis is shifting towards integrated efforts from large consortia, mirroring the European focus on projects achieving a critical mass. The project partners have started to and will continue to devote increased resources to this type of joint projects. Another long-term objective is for the partners to respond to socio-economic needs at regional and national level. One facet of this objective is to stimulate the interest of Romanian or foreign SMEs in the results of IST research, leading to awareness that performing and applying current research is both necessary and feasible for a competitive growth of the national IT sector. This will be achieved both through targeted technology transfer activities, as well as dissemination activities such as courses, workshops and information events presenting the applicability of recent research. Fulfillment of this objective will be measured by an increased number of contracts of the project partners with industry, as well as by the participation of companies, notably SMEs in project proposal applications. Another objective targeting socio-economic needs is to provide young researchers with competitive career opportunities that will stimulate them both to remain in the scientific domain as well as to perform research in the country rather than move abroad.

Obiectivul principal al proiectului este cresterea vizibilitatii internationale a comunitatii stiintifice romanesti, cu accent pe cea a organizatiilor partenere in acest proiect, cu scopul cresterii gradului de corelare si integrare in programele europene si internaţionale de cercetare. Pentru realizarea acestui obiectiv sunt prevazute activitati de sprijinire a dezvoltarii parteneriatului dintre echipele participante in proiect si echipe de cercetare similare din Europa. Vor fi puse bazele a noi retele la nivel european in aria tematica a proiectului (Information Society Technologies) si vor fi extinse activitatile de cercetare si dezvoltare desfasurate in parteneriate actuale internationale, incluzand si pregatirea de proiecte comune pentru programele cadru ale Comunitatii Europene. Proiectul va permite imbunatatirea si intarirea capacitatii de cercetare romaneasca in aria IST prin dezvoltarea si intarirea cercetarii reliazata in cadrul institutiilor participante in acest proiect cu scopul de a deveni participanti competitivi in activitatea desfasurata la nivel international in cadrul ERA - European Research Area. O consecinta a excelentei in cercetare si a faptului de a fi recunoscut ca partener competitiv este obiectivul de a imbunati participarea in proiecte de cercetare europene, atat prin cresteterea implicarii directe a partenerilor proiectului cat si prin stimularea participarii romanesti. In ceea ce priveste scopul de a imbunati participarea partenerilor din proiect, o masura concreta este cresterea contributiei partenerilor in proiecte de cercetare europene si retele in care participa acum (in cadrul FP6 si alte programe), in termeni de numar de pachete de lucru si cantitate a activitatilor. O alta masura concreta este participarea partenerilor din proiect in propuneri submise la apelurile viitoare din FP7 si alte apeluri internationale care implica cercetare, colaborare si activitati de management. Obiectivul de crestere a participarii romanesti la cercetarea europeana este in general strans legat de scopul de crestere a activitatii partenerilor din proiect. O masura a cresterii sferei de actiune va fi data de activitatile de informare referitoare la participarea in programe cadru ale Comunitatii Europene, in care partenerii vor disemina propria experienta in participarea in proiecte europene. Succesul acestor actiuni va fi apreciat prin implicarea altor centre de cercetare si, foarte important, a partenerilor industriali (regionali sau nationali, atat companii mari cat si SMEuri) in pregatirea proiectelor europene. Un obiectiv pe termen lung este imbunatatirea retelelor de cercetare si colaborare atat in Romania cat si vizibilitatea externa a acestora. Un prim pas este constientizarea deplina a potentialului romanesc in IST si a specialistilor sai, necesara atat in interiorul Romaniei cat si in Comunitatea Europeana. Acest obiectiv poate fi atins printr-o diseminare intensa a rezultatelor cercetarii, prin impactul lor practic si implementarea curenta in interiorul si exteriorul Romaniei, la evenimente stiintifice internationale si intalniri de brokeraj. Proiectul include organizarea unor asemenea evenimente. Retelele de cercetare din interiorul Romaniei presupun o activitate intensa cu alte centre de excelenta in IST si cu institute si organizatii nationale. Experienta anterioara a propunatorilor in activitati de cercetare care implica institutii multiple din Romania si in activitati de management incluzand institutii administrative regionale (precum Parcul de Tehnologia Informatiei initiat de Coordonator in asociatie cu cei doi Parteneri) sunt o garantie a succesului in crearea retelelor nationale de cercetare in IST in cadrul prioritatilor tematice vizate. O masura a succesului cresterii activitatilor in retea, nationale sau internationale, va fi numarul de lucrari stiintifice realizate in comun cu cercetatori din afara parteneriatului proiectului, ca rezultat a vizitelor de cercetare reciproce. O alta masura concreta va fi, in contextul participarii in comun la proiecte de cercetare deja existente la nivel national, trecerea accentului inspre eforturi integrate pentru a forma consortii mari, oglindind concentrarea europeana asupra proiectelor care ating o anumita masa critica. Partenerii proiectului au pornit aceasta actiune si vor continua sa consacre resurse pentru acest tip de proiecte in colaborare. O consecinta naturala si mult mai ambitioasa a retelelor in dezvoltare este obiectivul de a face ca institutiile participante in proiect sa actioneze ca stimul la nivel national. Diseminarea rezultatelor proiectului si cooperarea stransa cu alte institutii este esentiala pentru a atinge acest obiectiv. Un alt obiectiv pe termen lung este pentru parteneri acela de a raspunde necesitatilor socio-economice la nivel regional si national. O fateta a acestui obiectiv este stimularea interesului SMEurilor romanesti si straine in rezultatele cercetarii din domeniul IST, conducand la constientizarea ca realizarea si aplicarea cercetarii curente este atat necesara cat si fezabila pentru o crestere competitiva a sectorului IT national. Acest obiectiv va fi atins atat prin activitati de transfer tehnologic precum si prin activitati de diseminare precum cursuri, workshopuri si evenimente de informare prezentand aplicarea cercetarii recente. Indeplinirea acestui obiectiv va fi masurata atat prin numarul de contracte ale partenerilor proiectului cu industria cat si prin participarea companiilor, in special SMEurilor in propuneri de proiecte Un alt obiectiv care vizeaza necesitati socio-economice este acela de a oferi tinerilor cercetatori oportunitati in cariera competitiva care sa-i stimuleze atat sa ramana in domeniu cat si sa lucreze in tara in loc sa emigreze.