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European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos supports Cluj Innovation Days and all value-added ideas
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolos on Thursday stated that both him and the European Commission will support such value-added ideas, among other things refering to the Cluj Innovation Days event that he recently attended in Cluj-Napoca (central Romania).
He also presented to everyone in the room the new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020).
'I presented these things to you just to prove that we are now entering a new stage with more financial support within a new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Unfortunately, the presence of member states in the 2007-2013 interval was less significant. But I hope that in the next budget interval Romania will get more actively involved and I also want to tell you that I think you chose the best moment to create this platform and you will have all my and the European Commission's support to materialize such value-added ideas. I thank you and learn that you can count on my support,' said Dacian Ciolos.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday participated in the Cluj Innovation Days 2014 international event dedicated to innovation, hosted by the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca.
The event was organised by the Cluj IT Cluster, which is an important cluster at national level operating in information technology.
Attending the event there were also the Speaker of the Deputies Chamber, Valeriu Zgonea, the Minister-delegate for Upper Education, Scientific Research and Technological Development, Mihnea Costoiu, and the Minister-delegate for Social Dialogue, Aurelia Cristea.
Cluj Innovation City project is important to Romania, but it must not be politicised
Minister-delegate for Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technological Development Mihnea Costoiu stated on Thursday that the Government supports research and that the Cluj Innovation City project is a very important project to Romania but it must not be politicised.
'The message I am sending from here as well, from Cluj, is that education and research have become strategic objectives. In this sense, both on a budgetary level but also on the level of initiatives, the Government has understood that the only viable method through which the Romanian economy will be able to meet the growing challenges on a global level is to raise competitiveness nationwide. Cluj-Napoca is an important national hub that proved a remarkable capacity in attracting and efficiently using funds to support and help develop research, technological development and innovation forays when seen against the educational and academic potential of Cluj. I want my presence here be understood as a signal on the part of the Government, of the prime minister personally and on my part for the support of this important project for Cluj and the country,' said Costoiu.
He also pointed out that such projects should not be politicised.
'As minister for higher education and research I am doing my duty when saying that for such projects land and infrastructure are important but not determining factors. Here the business force and the creating force of research are determining factors. The mind is the one that can make a difference between what happens in Cluj and what happens in other places in the country and in the world. It is the reason I am asking both the rectors and the entire business and academic community to use the all-encompassing mind of Cluj's researchers to develop this project. It is important that this project not become a political one, it's very important to not play this project politically because played politically, this project will die even before it is born,' Costoiu warned.
Costoiu took part in an event organised by Cluj IT Cluster, the most important cluster in the IT field nationwide, where also attending were Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Valeriu Zgonea and Minister-delegate for Social Dialogue Aurelia Cristea.