GPeC, 2015: Different Angle, the first IT&C cluster in Bucharest

Official launch of Different Angle, the first IT&C cluster in Bucharest, March 2015. GPeC blog, the Romanian e-commerce event organiser. I was president of the cluster and, at the time, co-founder and managing partner of Tremend. The cluster’s mission: promoting innovation, education and the development of small and medium-sized IT&C companies in the Bucharest area. Topics: the cluster’s objectives, smart cities, the people in its member firms.

§Three objectives

“The cluster’s objectives are promoting knowledge transfer between the academic and the private environment, increasing the number of software specialists in a market with very high demand, and also creating collaboration opportunities between Different Angle and its partners.” („Obiectevele clusterului constau in promovarea transferului de cunostinte intre mediul academic si cel privat, cresterea numarului de specialisi software intr-o piata cu cerere foarte mare, dar si crearea unor oportunitati de colaborare intre Different Angle si parteneri”)

Knowledge moving between universities and companies, more software specialists for a market with very high demand, and collaboration between the cluster and its partners.

§Smart cities

The cluster’s aim: to draw attention to a topic little discussed in Romania, smart cities, meaning digital technology adapted to the real needs of a city’s inhabitants.

Elsewhere. BDB News, 2016, as president of the cluster that organised the Different City – Smart City conference: “We are organising this event after identifying an increasingly evident need for the smart development of the cities we live in, and for bringing the challenges of the future into public debate.” („Organizam acest eveniment in urma identificarii unei nevoi din ce in ce mai evidente de dezvoltare inteligenta a oraselor in care traim si de aducere in dezbatere publica a provocarilor viitorului.”)

§More than 400 people

More than 400 employees in the cluster (figures from Hotnews.ro): 200 software engineers, 60 QA specialists, more than 40 product and project managers, 75 IT engineers, 15 EU funds consultants and 20 trainers. Skills: technical (Java, databases, QA), project management, design software for architecture and engineering, and informal education such as professional coaching.