An EU boost for IT in Romania
The National Center for Information Technology (NCIT) at the University Politehnica of Bucharest represents research laboratories in High Performance Computing, Distributed Systems and Applications, e-Government, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Networks. The EU-funded project 'NCIT leading to EU IST excellency' (EU-NCIT) strengthened the capacity of the NCIT in information technology (IT). It focused on semantic-based knowledge systems, eLearning and collaborative (mobile) working. The project aimed to encourage NCIT participation in EU research through intense training of researchers and pan-European collaboration. To achieve its goals, the project team implemented the EU-NCIT WebDAV document management system, facilitating secure file sharing among EU-NCIT members. This streamlined document sharing and human resource management considerably. EU-NCIT then examined the Center's infrastructure and outlined equipment needed to raise the standards. This included advanced software for information systems and network communication, as well as remote cooperation equipment such as video conference equipment and other related software. Related efforts also included information management support to encourage research fields related to the NCIT. EU-NCIT members participated in conferences and workshops that taught them about other research projects. They met specialists from abroad and planned joint activities. These activities helped the NCIT identify future project proposals under EU programmes. Thanks to the project's efforts, the NCIT was able to participate in eight research project proposals under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). This was coupled with scientific visits abroad and valuable contacts with foreign stakeholders, propelling the Center to position itself on a much more global stage. The NCIT now boasts solid international cooperation with world-class organisations, partnerships with IT companies and strong participation in EU programmes.