On November 4th 2016 regarding the European Day of the Entrepreneur at the building of European Commission was held the 12th annual forum for the promotion of the entrepreneurship in Bulgaria – “The European Day of the Entrepreneur 2016”.  At the forum Krasimira Shindarova – project manager at ICT Cluster presented the program Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, before young people interested in starting their own business.

On 25th of October 2016 in Belgrade, Serbia was held the first meeting of the partners of the GIVE Partnership. The event was facilitated by ICT NET. The main discussed topic was the upcoming call under the Horizon 2020 Programme, Cluster facilitated projects for new industrial value chain. The participants of the meeting took decision to prepare a project that should create strong long term partnership between ICT and Automotive industry. The meeting was atended by Automobile clusters from Bulgaria and Serbia as well as ICT Cluster Central Serbia. They signed the memorandum for Strategic cluster partnership and became members of GIVE Partnership.

The annual meeting of the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters’ Network was held on 28 – 30 September 2016 in Budva, Montenegro. At the meeting were reviewed the achievements of the network for the past year and discussed its plans for the next. Three new ICT organizations were accepted as members of the network, two form Ukraine – “CBIT Ukraine” , “Odessa IT Cluster” and one Macedonian – “MACES”.
With the ending of the Romanian chairmanship it was agreed the Serbian clusters to take the next year chairmanship.

On September 19th - 20th 2016 in  Warsaw, was held the 4th Cluster Matchmaking Conference: Internationalisation the Strategic Way.

Representative of ICT Cluster - Mrs. Anna Naydenova, participated in the conference among the 250 participants representing 150 different clusters from 30 European countries met in Warsaw for the 4th Cluster Matchmaking Conference. The annual cluster-to-cluster matchmaking conference provides a forum for developing ideas for international collaboration. The participants found the keynotes and learnings from other clusters inspirational. Nevertheless, as with the previous three conferences, there was a general agreement that matchmaking is a very important part of the event.

EuroCloud Forum will bring to Bucharest over 900 top specialists from cloud industry. During the two days of the event, 5^th-6^th of September, they will discuss about the latest legal and technology tools, including about the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU-US Privacy Shield and what it all means for cloud providers. Wojcieck Wiewiorowski, Assistant European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) will discuss about data protection and privacy and their impact on economic growth and trade.

”2016 represents a key year for the growth of the European cloud industry. The legal regulations for the data protection and security in the digital space are getting set for the Big Data era and brings with it new responsibility and transparency rules for the digital solutions and cloud providers. We invite all the industry representatives to join the discussion, to discover how they can be up-to-day with the new regulations and how they can be one step ahead in the digital cloud revolution.” – declares Elena Zvarici, the president of EuroCloud Romania Association.

EuroCloud Europe: How will the new European General Data Protection Regulation help in the uptake of a Digital Single Market?

Wojciech Wiewiorowski: Privacy and data protection are clearly not barriers to economic growth and international trade, rather they enhance them. However, we know that trust is a necessary precondition for innovative products and services that rely on the processing of personal data. The EU’s aim to grow the digital single market will be successful but only if the interests of the individual are protected. GDPR is a new deal for citizens´ rights, and can galvanise responsible businesses and public authorities.

We at EDPS consider that the EU needed a new deal on data protection, a fresh chapter, focusing less on excessive formalities or prescriptive detail and investing more on dynamic safeguards to allow the individual to be in control of their data in the big data world we inhabit. Guidelines and best practices from reinforced and truly independent data protection authorities should help to deal with the rapid evolution of technology.

EuroCloud Europe: There is a 2-year implementation deadline for the GDPR. How can cloud providers get up to speed in this period with the new regulation in order to comply?

Wojciech Wiewiorowski: The GDPR brings with it a quantum shift in emphasis on who is responsible for ensuring that our right to data protection is fully respected. The GDPR includes an explicit reference to accountability as a principle and requires appropriate technical and organisational measures be put in place by organisations. In other words, organisations and not Data Protection Authorities or Data Protection Officers must demonstrate that they are compliant.

Accountability is more than simple compliance with the rules – it implies a culture change. Accountability means promoting sustainable data processing, by ensuring that the task of assessing the legality and fairness of complex processing falls primarily on organisations, with the guidance of regulators, and not on the individual.

EuroCloud Europe: Starting August 1st we have a new framework agreement regulating transatlantic data flows, the EU-US Privacy Shield. How will this agreement help?

Wojciech Wiewiorowski: Data protection authorities in Europe have welcomed the improvements brought by the Privacy Shield mechanism compared to the previous Safe Harbour. However, a number of concerns remain regarding both the commercial aspects and the access by U.S. public authorities to data transferred from the EU.

The first joint annual review will therefore be a key moment for the robustness and efficiency of the Privacy Shield mechanism to be further assessed. In particular, elements allowing a proper evaluation of the necessity and proportionality of the collection and access to data transferred by public authorities will have to be reviewed. Also, we will have to check whether the safeguards provided under the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield are workable and effective in practice.

If you want to hear more from Wojciech Wiewiorowski and about the implications of the new regulation on data protection and privacy, join us at the 2016 EuroCloud Forum from 5-6 October, in Bucharest. You can register online on the event page: http://forum.eurocloud.org.

De asemenea, EuroCloud Forum este colocat cu Internet&Mobile World, cea mai mare expo-conferință de soluții IT și digital pentru mediul de business din Europa Centrală și de Est. Evenimentul va avea loc pe 5-6 octombrie, la Romexpo, reunind peste 8,000 de vizitatori business și peste 130 de expozanți de soluții tehnologice pentru afaceri. Accesul la Internet&Mobile World se poate face pe baza biletului pentru EuroCloud Forum sau prin rezervarea în prelabil pe site-ul http://www.imworld.ro.

Sponsors: Veeam, Fabasoft, SAP, Star Storage, Microsoft.

Partner Associations:  ARIES, Asociația IT, BCCBR - Camera de Comerţ Bilaterală Bulgaria – România, CCIFER - Camera de Comerț Franceză, CIO Council România, DCIA, ICT Cluster Bulgaria, NRCC, Poland Connection.

Media Partners: Agora, Business24, Ibusiness.com, IT Channel, IT Trends, New Edition News, Tech Cafe, Ziare.com.

Contact:
Gabriela Deleanu
gabriela.deleanu@universum.ro
0733.062.593

On September 5th 2016 ICT Cluster join the European cluster family awarded with the European Cluster Management Excellence label in Bronze.

Katherina Hristova – young entrepreneur, approved by ICT Cluster, started her exchange of experience under the project Venture8 within the program “Erasmus for young entrepreneurs”.

On 28-29 October 2016 in Prishtina, Kosovo is going to be held KosICT. The organizator of the conference is Kosovo Association of Information and Communication Technology – STIKK, a member of the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters’ Network.

KosICT started 5 years ago as a regional conference with the aim to bring the global IT trending topic to the Balkans.
With over 50 speakers during the last 4 years and more than 1,000 participants the expansion was inevitable. That's why the 5th edition will be a reinvention of KosICT by going Global, expanding the topics lineup, introducing the SEE Outsourcing & Startups Fair, an eSports Championship and KosICT Nights, so this year we're bringing you a Tech Festival.

Topics: Digital Marketing, Startups and Funding, Big Data, edTech, eSports.
Speakers from: Facebook, Google, Entrepreneurship Magazine, TheNextWeb, Rimac Automobili, ESL, NiP, Capgemini Consulting, Acer and many more.

More information and registration: http://www.kosict.com/

Ivan Dermissizov is the first host entrepreneur within Venture8 under the program “Erasmus for young entrepreneurs” accepted Todosiosos - young entrepreneur form Greece in the agro sector.

The annual meeting of the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters’ Network will be held in Budva, Montenegro from 28 -30 September 2016, in the framework of the Infofest Festival 2016. The Agenda will be devoted to future cooperation projects, priorities for the next year and election of next chairing organization. The final agenda will be ready at the beginning of September.

The 6th International Telecommunications Conference and Exhibition TELCO TRENDS 2016 will be held from August 17 to August 19 in Jurmala, which is the largest one in the Baltic States. It will bring together the best industry experts, who will talk about the situation and trends in the European telecommunications market: including the subject of copyrights, the development of OTT services and payment technologies, as well as tell about the new technical solutions. Details: http://www.telcotrends.eu/

We invite representatives of your company to participate at Telco Trends, as well as to become a partner or sponsor of the event.

Traditionally, this significant event will gather experts from both the European Union and the CIS countries to discuss urgent problems and find areas of common interest. Every year the number of visitors is growing. Nearly 400 experts from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, the UK, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other countries are expected this time as well.

The organizers prepared a rich and interesting program, which covers the most topical issues of concern of the participants of the market of electronic communications. You can get acquainted with it here:
http://www.telcotrends.eu/en/conference/conference-2016

Key topics:

- A single digital market of the EU;

- The impact of the geopolitical situation on the distribution of content and business environment: a forum of broadcasting organizations;

- Analysis of the dynamics of the international market of TV and OTT services;

- Modern development of payment technologies: impact points with the telecommunications operators;

- Technical television and multimedia solutions from leading worldwide manufacturers;

- Protection of intellectual property. Effective tools and methods of dealing with pirated resources.

Now the European Union is implementing a strategy of a single digital market. It is designed to be a powerful impetus for economic development and the eradication of the digital inequality: broadband infrastructure is creates, legislative environment and the rules of the game are changed. Operators need to adapt to the new working conditions and be prepared for further metamorphosis. Deputy State Secretary at Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia Edmunds Belskis will share the latest news from Brussels: how the program “Digital Europe” has been implemented and what priorities are identified for the coming years.

In his turn, the president of the Polish Chamber for Electronic Communications (PIKE) Jerzy Strashevski will tell what impact on the business environment in Poland have new rules of the game. The Lithuanian Cable Television Association and the largest Latvian operator Lattelecom will share their impressions as well.

Hot debates are expected at the Forum of broadcasting organizations. The complex geopolitical situation and information wars hurt the business. And TV has appeared on the front line: channels are switched off; the severe political decisions are made. How all this affects the business of operators and what's next? After all, modern technologies are not standing still: all bans can be easily gone around connecting to the desired content via the Internet. The debate will be attended by representatives of government agencies and operators.

Organizers of Telco Trends have taken care about interesting analytics. The Director of the Department of TV and Content J 'son & Partners Consulting Dmitry Kolesov will perform with a report: “The Operators of Pay TV and OTT Services. Analysis of International Market Dynamics”.

Special guest of the Forum is President of the Association „Electronic money” Viktor Dostov. He will tell about the development and evolution of payment systems and new solutions that can help operators to quickly, conveniently and securely receive payments from their customers.

Acute topic of concern to all law-abiding operators: the fight against piracy resources. Market participants will discuss effective tools to combat illegal operators, as well as find out what new regulations are being developed in Brussels during the panel discussion.

Other technical, legal and economic issues associated with the development and convergence of technologies will be discussed as well. Traditionally, an exhibition of content and technical innovations will take part in the framework of the forum: television and multimedia solutions from leading manufacturers.

The event is widely covered in the media: the partners of Telco Trends are leading telecommunications publications – ComNews, “Cableman”, “Telesputnik”, Mediasat, ICT-Online.ru. The EU and CIS heads of industry associations, editors and journalists of specialized media will come to the Forum.

Time for the individual meetings and negotiations will be allocated: pleasant atmosphere, pine fragrance, a light breeze and calm landscapes contribute to tying useful contacts and concluding agreements.

At evening, traditionally, the guests of TELCO TRENDS will have a rich entertainment program: a party on the beach, funny beach tournament and other unforgettable events.

Working languages: Russian, English. Simultaneous interpreting will be ensured.

You can register and get more detailed information on the official website of TelcoTrends www.telcotrends.eu

На 4ти юли 2016 на Семинар "Програма Еразъм за млади предприемачи. Програма Еразъм+. За неправителствени организации и образователни институции." проведен в Сандански от Таня Илиева - водещ консултант в разработване и управление на европейски проекти за бизнеса и администрацията, беше представена програмата "ЕРАЗЪМ ЗА МЛАДИ ПРЕДПРИЕМАЧИ".

Семинарът беше предназначен за представители на бизнеса, желаещи да се възползват от възможностите, които предлага програма "ЕРАЗЪМ ЗА МЛАДИ ПРЕДПРИЕМАЧИ", за организации от неправителствения сектор и образователни институции, които се интересуват от условията за кандидатстване с проектни предложения по програма ЕРАЗЪМ+.

Видео: Еразъм за млади предприемачи