AIRi@UTCN contributed to the strategic dialogue on defence, innovation, and capability held as part of RBL Cluj 2026, followed by a visit to the Institute and discussions on cybersecurity, resilience, and cross-sector collaboration.
Hosted by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in collaboration with Romanian Business Leaders, the roundtable “National Defence in the New Strategic Reality: Capability, Innovation and Industry” brought together representatives of the business community, public authorities, and academia for an applied discussion on Romania’s strategic capacity and competitiveness.
Organized under the broader theme “Competitive Romania”, the event focused on the role of the economic sector in strengthening national resilience, technological innovation, and strategic partnerships. The discussion explored how current security challenges can be transformed into opportunities for innovation, competitiveness, and meaningful cooperation between defence, academia, industry, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The event was attended on behalf of UTCN by Prof. Vasile Țopa, Rector of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, and Prof. Adrian Groza, Vice-Rector for IT Infrastructure and Digitalization. In his opening remarks, Rector Vasile Țopa emphasized the growing interconnection between security, technology, and industrial competitiveness, underlining the importance of generating concrete directions for collaboration with real impact.
The strategic dialogue was coordinated by Gabriel Prefac, Managing Partner at Ageto Consulting, Răzvan Costea Bărluțiu, CEO of BraveX Aero, Andrei Sima, Managing Partner at Pro GIS Solutions, and Mircea Vădan, Managing Partner at Activize.Tech. AIRi@UTCN thanks the coordinators and participants for a pragmatic, solutions-driven exchange, focused on real needs, existing capabilities, and concrete next steps.
Following the roundtable, participants were welcomed at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute - AIRi@UTCN for a visit and continued discussions on opportunities for collaboration. The visit provided a space to connect strategic priorities with research capacity, technological expertise, and potential applications in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, resilience, and advanced digital systems.
As AIRi@UTCN continues to expand its work through the Department of Cybersecurity and Space Applications, the Institute highlights an important reality: cyberattacks and disinformation often reinforce one another. Strengthening societal resilience requires sustained investment in digital literacy, reliable detection tools, shared good practices, and partnerships that can scale rapidly across sectors.
Through its participation in RBL Cluj 2026, AIRi@UTCN reaffirms its commitment to supporting innovation ecosystems, applied research, and cross-sector collaboration capable of contributing to Romania’s long-term competitiveness, security, and digital transformation.
