“Today, it is no longer enough for industry professionals to simply know technology. It is vital to deeply understand the needs of the client and deliver solutions that create real value for them,” says Bogdan Florea, founder of Connections.

In the CEO TALKS dialogue, he defines the pathway through which technology’s impact can grow in our lives and in every community we live in.

Digital education tailored to each generation

 The relationship between people and technology should be one where technology empowers rather than overwhelms.

Understanding concepts like Digital Finance, Cybersecurity, or Smart City requires more than just access to technology – it demands education and cultural adaptation. To build a strong connection between communities and technology, Bogdan emphasizes that digital education must be tailored to each age group and their existing knowledge levels.

“In schools, it is essential to introduce courses on cybersecurity, online payments, and the risks associated with online presence. These can provide young people not only with technical skills but also with a level of awareness that helps them navigate the digital world safely,” says Bogdan Florea.

For adults and seniors, the challenges are different. For those already shaped by a different paradigm, adapting digital skills is more difficult. “But this is where European programs, including those under the PNRR, play a very important role. They offer courses that do not aim for technological excellence but instead create basic literacy, a digital literacy necessary to navigate the digital world,” Bogdan continues.

For seniors, these initiatives can even become a bridge toward social inclusion.

A Vision for better-prepared communities

 A major issue identified in recent years is that technological implementations in communities, whether local or governmental, have not always been the most successful.

On the one hand, the solutions provided have sometimes been cumbersome, and on the other hand, the public has not always benefited from the necessary support to use them effectively or to request them in an informed manner.

In this context, digital literacy becomes essential—not only to use technology but also to demand more from it.

“An informed demand from communities, based on an understanding of fundamental concepts, must meet an improved supply from the administration. This is the only way we can turn technology into a catalyst for progress,” says Bogdan.

In 2024, the press in Romania and around the world has consistently published headlines describing a global IT market under pressure.

What phenomena can we expect going forward, at the end of the year and in 2025? And what is Connections’ strategy in this market context? You can read more below, in an analysis by Bogdan Florea, leader of Connections Consult, one of the few Romanian IT companies listed on the stock exchange that continued to report growth in 2024.

Tech Industry Recalibration

“We are in a period where a great deal is happening at the geopolitical level, which is reflected in the economic sphere, and we are witnessing a reconfiguration of how business is done globally,” notes Bogdan. The tech industry is also going through a recalibration phase, driven by new technologies and digitalization plans, which sometimes put the profound transformation of organizational processes on a secondary level.

International Trends. What We Observe.

This orientation represents a trend of local protectionism aimed at controlling costs and quality, and brings increased local opportunities for IT players, believes Bogdan Florea.

Tech providers will need to focus intensively on creating added value, developing intellectual property, experimenting with new technologies, and integrating them into research and development projects; therefore, on directions that capitalize on pure intelligence and not just cost differences or arbitrage between two regions based on salary costs.

A Long-Term Vision for Innovation and Adaptability

In this context, Connections focuses on optimizing internal resources and maintaining strict cost control, and the second half of 2024 confirms the effectiveness of its strategy.

“As the global economy and the IT market in Romania transform, we are adjusting our strategies to remain competitive and capitalize on new opportunities. With a clear vision of the need to reinvent ourselves and add value to every project, we continue to build a strong and trusted position for the long term,” says Bogdan.

To ensure this stability, Connections has built a pipeline of opportunities for the next two years to solidify its position as a stable and trusted partner, capable of adapting to market changes.

Details about the financial results recorded by Connections Consult (CC) in the first half of 2024 and its growth strategy are available here  and here.

The next financial communication planned by CC is the 2024 Preliminary Annual Report.