The Romanian Smart City Association (ARSC) awarded the most revolutionary initiatives in development, sustainability and digital transformation, in the 8th edition of the Smart City Industry Awards (SCIA 8). The event brought together key government officials, local authorities, business leaders and experts from various sectors.

A total of 60 submissions entered the race for the coveted trophies, the value of these projects amounting to EUR 2 bln, or 1% of Romania's GDP, a record for the Smart City Industry Awards. 

"I am honoured to be at this event. I am happy to see so many projects entered and the desire of the authorities to build smart cities that offer a better life to their residents. Indeed, I would like Bucharest to be among them, but I am confident that we will take the example of other cities such as Suceava, Cluj or even sector 2, which are accessing European Commission funds, and we will soon be positioned on the smart cities map", said Mr Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy, a special guest of the event.  

ARSC awarded 39 prizes in 8 categories, across a wide range of sectors from mobility, urban transport, development and infrastructure, including data security and privacy, which demonstrated that there is a higher interest in activities in the smart area than previous years.

"The 8th SCIA event featured an impressive number of categories, each highlighting innovative solutions contributing to the progress of the urban environment. We were happy to see that more and more projects are registered from one edition to another, which proves to us that Romania is becoming a smart country. From mobility and urban transport to sustainability and digital transformation, the awards showcase the desire to create more efficient, inclusive and sustainable cities. But in Romania there is much more that is being done in this direction. We have over 1,300 smart city and smart village projects and initiatives, which shows that the civic pressure is increasing and brings positive results in this direction", said Eduard Dumitrașcu, President of ARSC.

"At this gala participated the most important Smart City projects in Romania, the most active mayors, county residences and more, that registered large-scale projects, that summed up in worth over EUR 2 bln. We're very happy that at least half of the projects you've seen on stage are done by Urban Scope at one stage or another. The Smart City concept was a form without substance about 5 years ago. Now people are starting to see the impact of these projects in the community. With the help of digitization, urban mobility and other smart technical solutions, it was possible for these projects to solve certain problems at the level of society", added Radu Dragomir, CEO of Urban Scope.

The jury for the Smart City Industry Awards 2024 (SCIA 8) comprised notable figures from various sectors, each bringing extensive expertise and insight to the evaluation process. Led by Mayor Ciprian Ciucu, President of the Jury, the panel included distinguished individuals such as Dragoș-Cristian Vlad, President of the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania; Traian Urban, Director of Innovation Hub East at EIT Urban Mobility; Valeriu Zgonea, President of the National Authority for Administration and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM); Prof. Guido Perboli from the Polytechnic University of Turin; Liviu Băileșteanu, Director of Policies and Strategies at MDLPA, Ministry of Development, Public Works, and Administration; Cătălin Frangulea, Director General of the Metropolitan Association for Sustainable Development of Public Transport Brasov; Nicoleta Cîrjan, Head of Foreign Relations, Tourism, and Events Office at Brașov City Hall; and Chris Cooke, Founder and CEO of SmartCitiesWorld. 

"Tonight we have the opportunity to award the best submitted projects, which I admit was difficult to do. Also tonight I am happy that I will be able to pass on the honour of being the president of the jury of the winner of the Mayor of the Year Award to the person with the most notable activity in recent years in implementing smart projects in their city," said Ciprian Ciucu, the Mayor of Sector 6 of the Municipality of Bucharest.

"It’s an honour to receive the award "Mayor of the Year", an important confirmation that comes from specialists in the field who objectively analysed the entire portfolio of smart projects that we implemented in Sibiu. I am happy for the recognition received by the city which, indeed, fully deserves the award received today", said Astrid Fodor, the mayor of Sibiu, upon receiving the award. 

The event also marked significant collaborations and partnerships, including the establishment of the Association for Smart Communities in the Republic of Moldova. President of ARSC, Eduard Dumitrascu, emphasised the importance of sharing experiences and fostering cooperation to drive digital transformation across borders.

"I am glad to be present at this event. The projects discussed today are the engine of development for localities. We want to transfer the experience and results of ARSC to Moldova and I would like to thank Eduard Dumitrascu and Radu Dragomir for their decision to come to Moldova", declared Alexandru Baltag from the Association for Smart Communities in the Republic of Moldova.

Another highlight of the event was the signing of the Collaboration Protocol between ARSC and ICI Bucharest for the National Platform for the Digital Transformation of Romania (PNTDR) which further underscored the commitment to advancing digital initiatives nationwide. Adrian Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI, highlighted the platform's potential to provide scalable solutions applicable to various projects and local authorities.

As the smart city movement continues to gain momentum, events like SCIA 8 play a crucial role in recognizing and amplifying innovative solutions that are shaping the cities of tomorrow.

For more information about the Smart City Industry Awards and upcoming initiatives, visit ARSC's website.

The full list of winners:

1.        Mobility and urban transport - Transport Public Bucuresti Ilfov (TPBI), Up to date with technology, closer to travelers!

2.        Innovation and sustainability in administration - Adrian Tutuianu, Secretary General of the Government

3.        Digitization and digital transformation (Digitization of Public Services) - Calarasi City Hall, Decisions making, strategic planning and simplified measures for citizens at the public administration level of the Municipality of Calarasi

4.        Technology and innovation - ICI Bucharest, project for the integration of NFT technology in public services, ICI Decentralised Services.

5.        Sustainability and environment - Glovo & eMobility Rentals, Pilot project for eco-friendly deliveries in Bucharest

6.        Sustainability and environment - BMF Romania, Award for "Excellence in Sustainability and Environment"

7.        Social inclusion and accessibility – The Mayor of Sector 5 Cristian Popescu Piedone – for the nZEB housing project for young people in Sector 5 of Bucharest

8.        Education and culture in smart cities - National Robotics Team Autovortex Romania

9.        Civic innovation and digital transformation - Phoenix Media

10.   Mobility and Urban Transport - UrbanScope & Constanta City Hall, Improving mobility in Constanța, in Mamaia Boulevard area

11.   Partnership of the Year - Ministry of Transport & Railway Reform Authority

12.   Sustainability and Environment - Tecuci Town Hall, Revitalization and regeneration of the urban area of the Carol I park, Tecuci municipality

13.   Mobility and Urban Transport - Galati City Hall & Zvarco Romania, Modern transport in the city of Galati

14.   Digitization and Digital Transformation - Software Imagination & Vision (SIMAVI), for the electronic public employee ANTONIA and IMM Mentor projects

15.   Technology and Innovation - Buzau City Hall - Intelligent traffic and public transport management system

16.   Technology and Innovation - PAID for the integration of compulsory insurance against natural disasters on ghiseul.ro

17.   Involvement and innovation for youth - Prefect of the Capital, Rares Hopinca for the project to prevent and combat drug use by young people

18.   Best Smart City Project - Sector 6 City Hall, Mayor Ciprian Ciucu

19.   Mayor of the Year in 2024 - Astrid Fodor, Mayor of Sibiu. Ciprian Ciucu, the winner of this award in 2023 handed over the presidency of the jury for the SCIA 2025 edition to Astrid Fodor, and in the Innovative Urban Development and Infrastructure category with the project Designing the banks of the Cibin river for bicycle track and spaces for relaxation.

20.   Best Smart City Company - Mira Technology

21.   CEO of the Year - Florin Pisica, CEO Top Metrology

22.   Mobility and Urban Transport - micro payments via SMS project

23.   Innovation in energy efficiency and sustainability - ELCEN

24.   Mobility and Urban Transport - Anadolu Automobil Rom, project Renewal of public transport in the City of Chitila through the purchase of 23 electric buses and related charging stations

25.   ARSC Special Award - Metrorex, project Connecting the metro network to Henri Coandă International Airport. Highway 6. 1 Mai – Otopeni

26.   Technology and Innovation - Vantage Towers

27.   Mobility and urban transport - Iasi City Hall, Green and smart public transport - Dacia Depot Modernization

28.   Innovative urban development and infrastructure - Craiova International Airport

29.   Digitization and digital transformation - Fast Park & Orange Romania for Romexpo Parking & Ticketing

30.   Technology and innovation - Regista for the Regista Solution

31.   Mobility and urban transport - Focsani City Hall & TeleLink

32.   Mobility and urban transport - Alba Iulia City Hall, Integrated mobility system

33.   Digitization and Digital Transformation - Suceava City Hall, Center for Innovation and Civic Imagination

34.   Sustainability and environment - Piatra Neamt City Hall, Urban regeneration project - Zoo

35.   Best Mass Media Supporter - Confident Agency

36.   Mobility and urban transport - Drobeta Turnu Severin City Hall & Scope Systems, Smart bus stops

37.   Education and culture in smart cities - Botosani City Hall - Project "Eminescu, one culture, one root"

38.   Education and culture in smart cities - Bistrita City Hall- ProjectsFrugal cities through energy efficiency and low-tech communities

39.   Innovative urban development and infrastructure - Campina City Hall, The expansion, modernization and endowment of the pedestrian space in the central area of Câmpina municipality

The Smart City Industry Awards Gala, the 8th edition was organised under the Patronage of the Ministry of Energy and in partnership with EIT Urban Mobility, a body of the European Union

Main Partner: Urban Scope

Platinum partners: Magus by Mira Technologies, Glovo, eMobility Rentals.

Event supported by: BAT Romania, Network One Distribution, Bosch, Swarco, Telelink, Scope Systems, Neexpansion, Anadolu Automobil Rom, Vantage Towers, SMS Ticketing, Scala Assistance, Top Metrology, Bitcom IoT, Parko Mobility, Elbi Energy Projects, SIMAVI, Sysnet, Asse by Asseco, Omega Star Sistems, Integrisoft, Dewatering Silent & Piling, Vodafone Business, Self Pay.

Institutional Partners: ICI Bucharest, Elcen, Romanian Post, RoGBC, Graphtec Design.

Media Partners: Phoenix Media, Profit News, Bursa.ro, Agerpres, Radio Romania Current Affairs, Aleph News, IQAds, Nine O'Clock, People and Companies, Matek, Ghidul Primăriilor, CaleaEuropeana.ro.

Ambassadors of the Experience: La Fântâna, Kafune.

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*This is a Press release.