Digitalizing public administration is a critical direction for Romania’s future—an urgent necessity with a direct impact on the efficiency and transparency of public services. To accelerate this process and maximize its benefits, the state must adopt clear and well-coordinated measures.
At the start of the year, as part of the CEO Talks series, Bogdan Florea, Founder and Co-CEO of Connections, shares his professional perspective on what the state should do to accelerate the digitalization process in 2025—both in terms of mindset and concrete, result-oriented actions.
Essential steps for modernizing the state
Here are three essential directions authorities must address to turn digitalization into a functional reality:
1. Completing the governmental cloud
Data represents the strategic resource of the future, and the Romanian government must place significant emphasis on completing the implementation of the governmental cloud. This will provide a unified technological framework for managing public services and facilitate communication between institutions.
2. Investing in data analysis for informed decisions
Romania has access to a significant volume of data, whether administrative, economic, or social. However, leveraging this data strategically remains an unmet objective. While the government has made major investments in digital infrastructure, the processing and analysis of data to guide political and economic decisions have not been systematically addressed.
Currently, data is often collected in fragmented ways, and the lack of a centralized vision leads to its inefficient use. To transform this information into valuable insights, a coherent governmental framework is needed, including integrated policies and platforms for data analysis.
Such measures would not only support the government in crafting more precise public strategies but also enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public administration. Investment in data analysis could lead to more informed decisions tailored to the current economic and social realities.
3. Digital literacy for Public Sector employees
Even with expanding digital infrastructure, the success of digitalization depends on the skills of those who manage it. “There are digital education projects for public officials, but it is essential to intensify efforts to ensure adaptation to new requirements.” adds Bogdan Florea.
What is Romania doing well in terms of digitalization?
Despite challenges, Romania has made significant progress in building digital infrastructure. Bogdan emphasizes this, stating that the Romanian government has made considerable IT infrastructure investments. “These investments are comparable, if not superior, to those of many other European Union countries,” he says.
This is a strong point for digitalization in Romania.