Follow-up: Sustainable Regional Development for Prosperous Communities (University Ovidius of Constanța, 2024.05.27-29)

On May 27-29, 2024, took place, at the University “Ovidius” of Constanța, the event: “Sustainable Regional Development for Prosperous Communities.”

It was a EIT HEI Initiative, funded by the European Union, organized by the University “Ovidius” of Constanța and intrepid.

Below are photos from the first two days and my notes at the event.

Day 1 – Photos on Facebook »

Day 2 – Photos on Facebook »

Day 1 – Photos on Google Photos »

Day 2 – Photos on Google Photos »

My notes from Day 1 (note – there might be unwanted inaccuracies; sorry about that):

Official opening – Welcome remarks from OUC leadership

Opening session – Presentation of the INTREPID HEI project

Panel session: sustainability agenda for the EU, Romania, and Dobrogea

Panel moderator: Diane-Paula-Corina Vancea

Ileana-Luminița Bălălău, Sustainable Development Department, Romanian Government

Responsible for the implementation of the 2020 agenda in Romania.
On ESG: Romania has a national strategy for sustainable development in 2008.
In 2018, it was synchronized with the 2030 EU agenda.
There are two strategic documents and an institutional framework.
Circular economy, green transition, and digital transition are important for Romania.
We cooperate well with civil society.
In each ministry, we have sustainable development hubs.
We work with them to monitor the implementation of the strategy.
We provided training for the experts in the hubs – we trained 150 civil servants.
We have introduced a new job—an expert in sustainable development—in Romania since 2018. It was also introduced in the administrative code.
“Departamentul pentru Dezvoltare Durabilă a primit astăzi, 13 decembrie 2021, distincția Organizației Națiunilor Unite (ONU) pentru inovație în serviciu public în cadrul galei United Public Service Forum 2021 de la Dubai.” (via »)
We are currently developing mechanisms to put in place for sustainable development.
We have a set of 291 sustainable development indicators.
Romanian sustainable code – a standard for non-financial support.
We report our activity at the UN.

Luminița Mihailov, South-East Regional Development Agency

The program is structured on six axes:
a. Digital – innovation, digitization and dynamic enterprises;
b. Green – environmentally friendly and risk-resilient settlements;
c. Low carbon emissions;
d. Connectivity – with European transport network;
e. Education;
f. Urban regeneration and technical assistance.
More to 1/2 of funds – competitiveness of SMEs.
We have grants for SMEs.
We are also thinking of combinations between grants/credits.
We have allocated about €2M to finance ideas.
Students can have presentations of proof-of-concepts.
We are going to finance this type of initiative.
There are resources made available by initiatives to apply this research.
All of Europe has resilience programs in place.
Smart specialization fields of the South-East Region:
a. Engineering and shipping;
b. Clothing industry;
c. Agri-food and biotechnologies;
d. Aquaculture and fishing;
e. Tourism (we need to be more innovative in this area);
f. Information and communications technology – ICT (it is present in almost all regions in Romania).
Students will need to finance 5% or even 0% of the project. In the investment scheme, we are asking for 10%.
Two kinds of support:
a. State aid – 30%/40%/50% of the total budget of the project – depending on the size of the company;
b. Innovation (research aid) – we are speaking about a maximum of 20% of the project’s total budget; we aim for innovation, not for business.
Website: https://regiosudest.ro/
Regarding cofinancing for infrastructure, you can lease the equipment, but you do not necessarily have to buy it.

Ana-Ilinca Macri, Nuclearelectrica SA

We are the only nuclear operator in Romania – SNN – Nuclearelectrica.
Nuclear energy is very reliable, it doesn’t depend on weather.
There are almost 30 years of nuclear energy in Romania.
The nuclear power plant is located in Cernavodă town, Constanța county.
It’s one of the main employers in Constanța and the main one in Cernavodă.
Our reactors are the most performant in the world.
It’s important to train engineers and other employees in the field.
Romania has decarbonization targets. Nuclear energy represents an opportunity for this.
215 M tonnes of CO2 avoided.
Annual reduction of CO2 emissions due to the operation of Cernavodă NPP – 10 M tones.
Nuclear energy in Romania now – 1,400 MWe, 10,346,759 MWh.
36%.- contribution of nuclear energy in Romania. In total, CO2-free energy: 66%.
S.N. Nuclearelectraica S.A. (HQ, headquarters in Bucharest)
Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant (two reactors) – CANDU 6.
Pitești Nuclear Fuel Facility – nuclear fuel fabrication for two units.
Companies: Energonuclear – Units 3&4 project, including preservation of U3&4(.
Nuclearelectrica Serv – services.
Brașov (Felidoara) uranium octoxide processing line.
Shareholders: 82.49% – Ministry of Energy.
FCN Pitești is the only nuclear fuel factory in Southeast Europe and the only CANDU nuclear bundle factory in Europe.
In 2024, FCN celebrated 32 years of continuous operation.
Refurbishment – the first reactor, the oldest reactor.
CANDU = Canada Deuterium Uranium.
Two new CANDU Units – 2031/2032.
SMR = Small modular reactors.
Plan to install 6 SMR modules.
Medical isotopes – a good opportunity for nuclear medicine.
The isotopes are useful for MRI.
Universitatea Politehnica: – Centru de explorare a energiei în Europa.
Lansarea oficială a Centrului de Explorare a Energiei NuScale (Centrul E2) la Universitatea Politehnica din București, o premieră europeană – Nuclearelectrica.
Nuclearlelectrica: 2,700 team members (1,800 at CNE Cernavodă).

Ana-Maria Mișa, Romanian Commercial Bank, BCR

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is here to stay.
Not one size fits all.
It is important that we advise our partners to look after their employees also.
Why does ESG also work for the bank?
a. Opportunity for new business development.
b. Protecting balance sheet from uncertainty.
c. Harmful socio-economic activities to be excluded from finance and banking services.
“Școala de Bani” – the most important financial training project in Romania.
Trained 1 M Romanian people (from kindergarden to university people) about money.
We want at least 25% of our loan assets to be green by 2026.
We work on the decarbonization of loan portfolios.
Corporate citizenship and operations: 2022 – 22% reduction of Scope 1&2 emissions.
Employee engagement and social contribution – ensuring climate literacy for all employees.

Panel session: Sustainable practices in large businesses

Panel moderator: Mihai Gîrțu

Radu Rusen, Constanța Shipyard SA

We are talking about survival these days more than ESG.
The shipyard is not the most environmentally friendly space – we work in open space and use special procedures.
Recently, we put more emphasis on the environment.
We reduced some emissions last year by about 35-40%, and this year, we target 70%.
We want to reduce the emissions of CO2 gases by about 20% using a new solution.
We also try to get the economic benefits of our green investments.
We try to be socially responsible.

Adrian Munteanu, DP World

84 countries, 471 locations.
20 years in Romania.
We are at the junction of important transport routes.
We recently finished a node in Aiud connecting different types of routes.
We try to move the road to other types of transportation (for example, trail).
We are partners with Salvați Copiii România and the University Ovidius of Constanța.
Aiud Green Marathon – partners.
We invest in electrified tools.
2050 – carbon-free for our operations.

Marieta Stasi, Oil Terminal SA

The most important Romanian oil terminal is on the Black Sea.
Strategic position in the national and regional market.
125 years of activity.
1050 employees, 357 university-educated staff, and 35% of graduates of Ovidius University.
The largest diesel tanker (110,000 tons) in the history of the Port of Constanța operated in 2023 at the Oil Terminal berth.
€70,3M turnover.
We monitor the quality indicators of wastewater discharged into the RAJA sewerage system and the Port Authority wastewater treatment plant.
Monitor air quality in the area of the company’s perimeters.
We monitor the management of waste generated at the sites.

Oana Ilie & Daniela Uzum, Raiffeisen Bank

Here in Romania, we are serving 2.2 M customers.
Since a few years Raiffeisen we have a service called 1-on-1 banking application.
Each colleague in an agency has a tablet.
Final aim – finishing the process to sell 100% digitally.
The application is exclusively designed by the team in Romania.
According to BCG (Boston Consulting Group), sustainability is not just following rules and expectations. We think it will become the next competitive advantage for retail banking and a pillar of future growth.
The general interest for sustainability is increasing.
According to BCG, 73% of customers change their purchase habits considering the environment.
We give lower interest rates for green projects, and we encourage the acquisition of solar panels.
The banks are key decision factors influencing the whole economy with their financing decisions.
40% of the clients already prefer a durable investment rather than a non-sustainable investment, which is a bit more performant. (Strategie&, 2022).
Regarding credits, part of the financing of the SME – medium-sized enterprises – for the financing of the new workplaces, and having access to essential services (medical assistance, education, essential infrastructure).
We try to use recycled plastic for our cards (99% recycled plastic).
If a home is on ecological level A, we offer lower interest rates.
For business entities, it is for financing the purchase of solar panels (for those who want to become electricity producers).
€4.4M platform for green solutions for SMEs.
€1M Agri BIO credits for farmers.
€2.6M Factory by Raiffeisen.
More than €1M allocated for Raiffeisen Communities – grant competition for more than 160 projects of non-formal education.
Five years of Factory by Raiffeisen, we financed more than 280M entrepreneurs with more than €11 M.

Anca Diaconița, Rompetrol Rafinare SA

Rompetrol Refinery – the oldest and largest refinery in Romania.
The building started in 1975.
We started refining in 1979.
We are the largest polymer producers in Romania.
1M tons of CO2 per year by Rompetrol Rafinare.
We have a project with heat integration to reduce CO2.
We optimize our internal hydrogen generation unit.
We optimize the usage of hydrogen generation units.
We are working on a feasibility project – capturing and storage of CO2.
We are looking for a project to capture CO2 and invest it in other projects.
In 2021, Rompetrol started to build a new generation plant – $ 160M—80MW per hour of electrical power.
About the production of green hydrogen – a feasibility study to replace grey hydrogen with green hydrogen (it’s difficult to use it in the hydrocarbon industry).
We invest in renewable pit stops.
About renewable pit stops, the refinery is easy to go to for renewable pit stops.
We invest in a project to reduce industrial water usage.
We invest in photovoltaic parks – 4 MW in Ploiești, in Constanța 10 MW.
We plan to invest in wind farms.
We have the oldest internship project in the area, with Ovidius Constanța.

Mădălina Iliescu, Techirghiol Balneary Hospital

1/3 of natural resources in Europe are in Romania.
An abundance of natural resources and a long tradition of using them for curative purposes.
We have spa resorts, medical centers, and units for bilinear areas.
Techighiol Lake – a site that has been produced since 2000, under a special protection and conservation regime.
We do studies with colleagues from other universities.
We return the used mud to the lake.
A history of 125 years.
Young graduates can practice in our unit.
We have to ensure the optimal quality of the water in the lake.
Regeneration of the reservoir of natural factors.
We are coordinating all our medical procedures based on European standards.
We try to minimize the environmental impact.
A project to create pools with salty waters.

Panel session: obstacles and opportunities for green transformation of SMEs

Panel moderator: Costin-Octavian Sorici

Lucian Teodorescu, SOCEP SA

We have ports in Constanța and Agigea.
Dust emissions in serial operation – we want to reduce this.
In 2022 – we will start operations in a new serial silo—25,000 storage tonnes capacity.
We eliminate 90% of the dust.
The dust emission is under control.
Until August 2025, we will finalize another serial silo terminal.
We have a lot of equipment and plan to replace it step by step.
We want to focus on being green.
We want to transform the voltage from 6,000 to 20,000 for one of our transformators.

Bogdana-Cristina Popa, KAUFLAND Romania

170+ stores.
Ultragreens – 4 microgreenhouses in store. 20 types of microplants. In 65 Kaufland stores.
Partnership with TOMRA – RVM – Reverse Vending Machines. 31 M bottles collected. 360+ available RVMs in 177 stores. 440+ collection holes.
FEPRA – reduced carbon footprint by 7,000+ tons in 2023.
GREEN PACK – 700,000 packaging containers from cosmetic and cleaning products collected in 2023.
CHEP – They make blue pallets and reusable pallets that help us reduce our carbon footprint. We don’t need, as if we used wood pallets.
EURO POOL SYSTEM – green crates.
2024: 140+ charging stations nationwide.
E-MOBILITY RENTALS – a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) to deliver Kaufland online orders.
FOOD BANKS – developed our own app to manage donations to food banks and other NGOs.
App – to manage the relationship between the food banks and other NGOs.
We could share the app with other retailers.
We started the project with a few donations to food banks animal shelters, and also zoos.
We have an anti-food waste law implemented. It’s a start, although perhaps not the perfect law.
Most of the food waste produced worldwide comes from households.
ÎN STARE DE BINE – financing platform. €1.2 M financing.
Our 6th year of partnership with them.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” – African proverb.

Demostene Mocea, BRD – Romanian Development Bank

One of the largest financial groups in Europe.
117,000 employees worldwide.
450 branches in Romania.
In 2022, BRD launched its first green consumer financing products.
Sustainable loans of over 1.1B RON.
Climate Change Summit – an event that was initiated and founded by BRD.
The biggest conference dedicated to climate change in CEE (Central and Eastern Europe).
Over 2,900 participants, 2M viewers online, 160+ speakers from around the world – the last two editions.
Între Vecini – those who live in apartment buildings can become prosumers, and even small producers of electricity, by benefiting from reduced costs for the shared electircity bills. (sonar panels on buildings)

Irina Odor, CELCO SA

Our plants are making products with advanced technologies that are used all over Europe.
We belong to important European associations.
The homes – represent more than 40% of the energy consumption.
Houses need good thermal insulation properties.
ESG will be the concept that will be taken into consideration when every producer makes its products in Romania/Europe.

Teodora Peneș, National Women Entrepreneur Association

Sustainability – The ability to maintain a balance between current and future needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Resources for overcoming challenges:
a. Access to training and professional expertise;
b. Government and private sector support;
c. Financial incentives and subsidies;
d. Collaboration with other businesses.
Conclusions:
a. Balance challenges with opportunities;
b. Long-term commitment necessary;
c. Significant benefits for business and environment;
d. Encouragement for SMEs to take small, gradual steps.

Roxana Chirițoiu, RETHINK Romania

https://www.socialinnovationsolutions.org/
Projects:
a. Sustainability Academy – 4 CEE counties; 15,000 SMEs; 20 hours of self-paced educational content;
b. Transformator – 3-month education program in 4 CEE countries for 15-20 SMEs/edition focused on sustainability.
https://academia-de-sustenabilitate.ro/
There is room for improvement, but Romanian business owners start to take a closer look at sustainability and see what other opportunities they have – “How can I grow my business if I take a closer look at sustainability?”.

Panel session: University projects promoting regional sustainable development

Panel moderator: Constantin Ilie

Elena Danteș, PhD – Building Ad Augusta – a center for researcher’s career development

Partnerships in Southeast Region:
a. Maritime University of Constanța;
b. University “Dunărea de Jos” of Galați;
c. “Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy;
d. 50 high schools and 113 middle schools.
Total budget: €937,185.
To attract more than 1,000 students.
Seven university doctoral programs.
Personalized assistance in the conception and writing of research projects and scientific articles.
Mentoring and coaching sessions.
The participants can be better at conducting research.
Collaboration between the AdAugusta Center and the Ovidius Doctoral School.
https://adaugusta.univ-ovidius.ro/en/
https://web.facebook.com/ADAUGUSTACentrulRegionalSE
Anticipation: over 90% of participants will provide positive feedback.

Laurențiu Oancea, PhD – INSAE projects on climate change and technology transfer

There is a gap between universities and companies, and we try to fill this gap.
When gold is a ring, it is yellow. In certain conditions, it turns red.
Problems in carrying out project activities:
a. Delay in procurement procedures due to constraints related to the legislative framework;
b. Private investment combined with public support for the project was dampened by the unfavorable economic context generated by the pandemic and the strong impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on markets.
c. Some companies were forced to terminate subsidiary contracts, putting in great difficulty developing the project itself.d. Difficulties recruiting qualified personnel for scientific research activities.
e. Lack of institutional experience in dealing with collaborative activities with businesses.

Pascal Gautier & Yannick Izoard – Open innovation and impact generation: example of projects

Clermont Auvergne Innovation
https://www.clermontauvergneinnovation.com/
Three value offering:
a. We identify, protect, and invest in the valuable research results;
b. We catalyze the construction of Public-Private research partnerships;
c. We help create and develop deep tech startups;
€12M invested in 3 years in startup technologies.
Worked with 89 startups.
Participated in €60M fundraising.
It’s not all about money; we need to have a positive impact on people and society. This is one of the values of the new generations.
VCs (Venture Capitals) are also looking at ESG.
The University Pole of Innovation – all the people in an area – innovation and strategy on projects.
The Clermont Auvergne University Pole of Innovation – academic actors federation to increase efficiency and value of their innovation process – 7 founders and more than 20 partners.
Each founder has to lead specific work packages in coordination with partners.
One goal: more projects, more innovation, more impact.
One premium tool: Open Innovation Pole (OIP).
Leaded by big corporates, OIP wants to create a consortium of partners from different sectors in the same field.

Igor Sîrodoev, PhD – Response – NRRP project on ocean and waters restoration

Project objective – building a competence center for protecting and restoring ecosystems in the lower Danube basin and the Black Sea Coast.
Strategic agenda:
a. Covering the knowledge gaps;
b. Fixing deficient cooperation and communication;
c. Fixing inadequate policies.
Open access for persons interested in the project data and final research results.
The impact related to partnership increase, public-private partnership promotion, and increased scientific output.
https://blue4citizens.univ-ovidius.ro/
http://response.unibuc.ro/

My notes from Day 2 (note – there might be unwanted inaccuracies; sorry about that):

Panel session: digital technologies in support of sustainable development

Costin Sorici, CityInnoHub – European Digital Innovation Hub of Constanța

Services for the community to provide digitalization.
Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) – established in 2017.
2019 – CITYINNOHUB combines the experience of the partners from the consortium, from the academic (UCO), public (ZMC), and private/NGOs (EY, Iceberg, PNFAIMM, CCINA) domains.
2020.- CITYINNOHUB is selected by the Romanian Authority for Digitization (ADR) to participate in the European competition of DIHs.
2022 – CITYINNOHUB participates in the European competition in February, with the Grant agreement signed in September.
2023 – CITYINNOHUB starts its activity by addressing the themes of Tourism 4.0, IT&C, eHealth, and Smart Cities, offering complete solutions for digitizing activities.
Technologies we can provide: cyber security, process automation, Internet services & applications, cloud services, big data, analysis, data processing, virtual, augmented and extended reality, blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), artificial intelligence, and decision support.
Working packages: ecosystem building, testing before investing, access to finance, digital skills.
https://www.cityinnohub.ro/
https://www.facebook.com/cityinnohub/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cityinnohub/
https://www.instagram.com/city_inno_hub/

George Farauanu, Corner Stone Technologies

Only a few people take sustainability seriously.
Why is everyone talking about sustainability now? Is ESG a hot topic or just a fuss?
Sustainability is a major focus today due to the urgent need to address climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation.
Economic benefits, such as cost savings and risk management, and increasing consumer demand for responsible practices also drive this shift.
Additionally, regulatory pressures and societal expectations for corporate responsibility further emphasize the importance of sustainability.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is not just a passing trend; It’s a crucial framework guiding responsible business practices.
Less than 40% of company boards believe they have ESG and sustainability expertise. – Morgan Stanley

Virgil Paraschiveanu, HORVATH & PARTNERS

My definition: to compost food and teach my kids to be nature-friendly and treat animals well.
For some companies in the Middle East, they need to produce more oil to help the economy.
For other companies – to help the environment and spend fewer resources to produce similar results.
Our mission is to enable organizations to become front-runners in sustainability.
In addition to relevant skills & knowledge, we provide many assets “ready to use” to ensure an efficient and effective project execution.
Universities are at the forefront of driving sustainability, serving as a model for communities worldwide, and enabling change management.
University 2.0’s comprehensive framework for higher education accelerates performance, academics, engagement, operations, and planning, deepening sustainability practice and impact.

Costin Sorici & George Farauaru, CT Startup Community

The Start-up CT community aims to become the primary catalyst for developing and supporting entrepreneurship in Constanța.
Young people do not have enough professional opportunities at the local level, so they leave Constanța, and very few return – brain drain.
There is no local start-up culture to encourage the creation of solutions for global problems, and there are few private investors and investment funds (VCs).
There are no organizations, programs, or projects to support start-ups in the medium and long term, from idea to funding and scaling, and no local ecosystem of start-up founders, mentors, and investors.
Ecosystem drivers: digital nomads, blue growth area (ecology), community perks.
Ideas:
a. Start-up & corporate accelerators;
b. Venture studios;
c. Academic incubators;
d. Angel networks;
e. Dedicated VCs.
Who are we targeting?
a. Start-up founders;
b. Students;
c. Curious cats.

Round table: research career in European universities – challenges and opportunities

1. Counselling services – what services are provided by EU universities to domestic and/or foreign researchers?
2. Training services – what types of training are offered to researchers?
3. Support services – a type of support provided by research departments.
4. Euraxess/HRS4R certification:
a. OTM-R policies;
b. How is data collected?
c. What kind of quality control systems are in place?

From the discussions:

  • Tallinn, Estonia: Innovation and entrepreneurship center – is active in finding work for academics. We do not provide support services, but researchers need more knowledge on project management. We are starting a project on service design.
  • France: we help entities get authorization from the university to launch a business. We help them get intellectual property. We also help them with getting the funding. Current status: if they want to get a professor status, they need to get a high-standard publication, not necessarily start a business. Currently, if they succeed or not in a business project, it won’t have an impact on their career. It’s not always about the money, it’s also improving the world. There is a service that deals with funding. They help the researchers to make the funding proposal. In the same division of the university, people take care of contracts. Most of the startup researchers are foreign researchers. We have a department to help them get funding and assets to collaborate with other partners.
  • Belgium: We bring together groups with a common type of subject. For all of them, we have a shared service center with people who are project advisors – finance / administration / scientific communication. Research coach for valorization for 4 years – qualitative research. We are in the middle of restructuring – we have a new director. We used to work in six big groups – health, business, food and agriculture. We will have more than six groups brought together because of their subjects. Every group will have a senior researcher who can help apply to new projects. Also – research managers (the head of all groups, coordinator). They will look to partnerships or to work with other universities—connections with other universities abroad.
  • Germany: For the application, we don’t provide just administrative design but also details about the research design. If there is a very big project, several professors are generally looking at the application. The support is personalized and dedicated to each proposal. When you are researching, the university has courses for each researcher. You are also allowed to join courses for students. Regarding research data, we have a Microsoft Cloud platform. US researchers can look to data from other research. You have to be in the university’s laboratory or use a VPN (virtual private network – solution to change the apparent IP – internet protocol address; you can simulate using the Internet from another location). We have a special place for counseling – career/psychological. We also have a psychiatrist at the university. It’s open to outsiders.
  • Czech Republic: It doesn’t matter, from a legislative point of view, if you are an EU or non-EU national. We don’t have peer research only. We have a center to serve various needs inside the organization. There is a required training for those who appear in a classroom. The ideal weight between teaching and research: 60% research and 40% teaching and service to the profession/community. There are some bottom-up activities (they might lead to the establishment of research groups). Some professors arranged for a research club. (primarily online, but sometimes in person; there might be topics; at times, it can be a social gathering; it’s voluntary-based) We get data from researchers (they need to spend time on reporting) We try to do positive affirmation, but we don’t want to promote demotivated persons, there is a fine line we need to pay attention to.
  • Ukraine: We have good research support. We meet monthly to discuss all the problems that need to be solved. What challenges do we have, and how will we solve them? Training services – we run different topics for PI (principal investigator). In Ukraine in 2023, the new office for Horizon Europe was launched—in November – at the International Science Days event. The scientist needs to know about the other things at the University level. We have a central department and individual units that support the PhD students. Great Britain has a center at the university level (for example, a research office with different training at different research levels). A center like a one-stop shop could be a good idea, it would be helpful.
  • Ukraine #2: We have a research department and transfer technology.

Sustainable Regional Development for Prosperous Communities (UOC)

Sustainable Regional Development for Prosperous Communities (UOC)

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