Today was all about ideas, insights, and strategies that shape the landscape of business and innovation in Romania and beyond. Zilele Biz, now in its 21st year, is the country’s biggest B2B event, setting the tone for emerging business trends and bringing together a diverse audience of top managers, entrepreneurs, marketing specialists, consultants, investors, influencers, and representatives from officials and NGOs.
One month later after SPEED – The AI Era, the AI Conference of 2023 that brought together Google and Microsoft for the first time in Romania, Zilele Biz serves as a full-week hub for sharing ideas and experiences, propelling both the local and global economies forward, by addressing five major themes: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Management, Media & Marketing, and Sustainability.
This year’s theme “Kickstart the New Age of Innovation” echoed throughout the conference halls. The discussions focused on the crucial role of innovators in driving change, challenging the status quo, and transforming industries. It was emphasized that innovation must permeate all levels of an organization to create a real impact, and business leaders were encouraged to embrace uncertainty, explore new frontiers, and be the driving force behind their companies’ progress.
Innovation at the Forefront
Today’s focus was on pressing issues regarding leveraging innovation within businesses. Everything from profitable and value-creating innovation to capturing client attention with disruptive products and services was covered. Green technology, cloud computing, cryptocurrency, and software enhancements were also discussed, as well as the role of education in inspiring innovation, the ethics of AI, the impact of sustainability on business reputation, research infrastructure, long-term collaborations for product innovation, critical thinking, failure as a motivator for success, and data management techniques. For businesses looking to monetize trends and reinvest in their growth, today’s insights are priceless.
Hey Topics
- Innovation as Power – Strengthening market positions through innovative strategies.
- Tech for Green – Sustainability as a driving force in innovation and investment attractiveness.
- The Future in the Cloud – Rapid growth in cloud computing.
- The Security Challenge – Effective data protection methods.
- Meet the Chatbots – Advancements in intelligent communication technologies.
- The Remote Workplace – Addressing the challenges of remote work through innovation.
My favorites
- All is changed, all is the same!
- Don’t forget about diversity, equity, and inclusion!
- Honor phone prototype with a remarkable 3-day battery life on a single charge
- The antonym of artificial intelligence is natural ignorance.
- The Super Mario Effect – Focusing on the princess and not the pits, to stick with a task and learn more.
- Better fail fast and learn, rather than try to go big or go home!
- Content is king, but the kingdom is changing!
- The new social commerce is coming sooner than we aspect.
- Exercises are good not only for humans, but also for robots
Prominent Speakers
The lineup of speakers at Zilele Biz – About Innovation featured important figures in the business world:
- Elisabeta Moraru, Country Director, Google Romania-Hungary-Moldova-Hungary
- Călin Clej, Senior Marketing Director | Commercial Transformation Lead Southern East Europe HONOR
- Gabriela Stănică, Chief Information & Data Officer, Carrefour Romania
- Valentin Popoviciu, Vice President of the Board of Directors, Digi | RCS&RDS
- Alexandru Tănasă, Digital Business Advisor, ARGGO
- Emma Zeicescu, Director of Communications, Philip Morris Romania
- Horia Velicu, Head of Innovation Lab, BRD Groupe Société Générale
- Valentin Vasile, Marketing Director Romania & Moldova, Schneider Electric
- Alin Dobra, CEO & Fondator, Bunnyshell
- Emmet King, Co-founder, D3 Cyber & Transylvania Angels Network, Founding Investor & Board Member, Telios Care, AIVA Minority Shareholder
- Vlad Lepădatu, Managing Partner, TARA Interactive
- Marius Istrate, Președinte, Techangels
- Cristina Țoncu, Regional Director, ROTSA & Programs Partner Techcelerator
- Cătălin Butnariu, Președinte, Romanian Game Developers Association
- Mih Lovin, Founder, Le Squad
Speakers like Cătălin Butnariu and Mih Lovin acknowledged Romania’s growing global presence in the software development and innovation industries, and they provided guidance on how to make the most of this development.
As I process all of the information and takeaways from today, it is becoming very clear to me that Romania is not merely contributing to the global business story; rather, it is actively shaping it.
