Started more than 6 years ago, the Sibiu Innovation Days conference has reached the age when children start going to school. Just as this stage is a turning point in the life of a person, the sixth edition also went through a turning point in the organization as the support from the Hasso Plattner Foundation ceased and the Romanian economy and the IT industry in general received a blow generated by the reduction of tax facilities.

Despite these challenges, the path started in 2020 is irreversible. Sibiu Innovation Days 2025 has become and must remain a significant landmark on the innovation map in Romania, playing a crucial role in promoting collaborative networks between industry experts, public administration and the academic research community. The Hasso Plattner Knowledge Transfer Institute (HPI-ULBS), hosted by Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, intends to become a strategic institutional center driving regional innovation, digital transformation, and applied research in Romania, particularly south of Transylvania. In the last few years, HPI-ULBS consolidated its role as a catalyst for academic-industry collaboration, delivering tangible results across prototyping, intellectual property, and research valorization with a profound impact on shaping the economic and social vitality of the entire region. Furthermore, innovation cannot be done alone but in collaboration for co-creation value. For Romania, which is located in last place in the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2024, a change of mindset and a need for networking and exchange of good practices with academic and business partners from countries with a high degree of innovation are required.

The organizing team comprises the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, through the Hasso-Plattner Knowledge Transfer Institute and the Cluj IT and Sibiu IT Clusters. The Sibiu Innovation Days 2025 conference is scheduled to take place on November 06th and 07th, 2025. Within the framework of the European Erasmus+ project CoDEMO—Co-Creative Decision-Makers for 5.0 Organizations—ULBS is receiving support from Marquardt Schaltsysteme SCS to facilitate one of the workshops titled "5.0 Value Co-Creation Mechanisms and Experimentations: Case Studies"

The format of the event will include four sections:

• Conference in the form of panels (S1)
• Hackathon for students (S2)
• Session of innovative projects developed by students (S3)
• Industrial Workshops – hands on experience for participants (WS)

THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: Balancing Innovation, Risks, and Societal Impact

Nowadays, society faces advanced technologies that might significantly impact our lives and daily work. Some of us are frightened and very conservative in using new tools even though these would make some activities easier; others are very curious and ready to test new tools and technologies without considering risks or ethical issues. Three emerging technologies of 2025 that can bring both societal benefits and increased economic productivity but also present ethical challenges and require care and reasoning in their use are generative AI, quantum computing, and sustainable tech or energy-efficient computing. Emerging technologies possess a disruptive nature that is poised to fundamentally reshape the functioning of specific industries, education, and society at large. These technologies act as catalysts for digital transformation, fostering the emergence of novel business models and opportunities for development.

The generative AI technologies in general, and ChatGPT as one of the most well-known examples of this category, represent, according to experts, the biggest hype in the tech sector, knowing the record adoption by millions of users. However, there are some challenges to be taken into account: What is the level of knowledge about generative AI among students, academic staff, and even employees from industrial companies? What other challenges does AI introduce in the workplace or in the disciplines taught in universities? What are the ethical issues regarding cheating or who owns the intellectual property of material produced by generative AI? How is the future of software developers perceived by companies if AI takes over more and more of the coding tasks? What will be the skills that will make a difference in the job market? What should universities and vocational training institutions do to prepare students for an AI-dominated job market? Additionally, datacentres that sustain the LLMs and applications of generative AI will consume a lot of energy.

Thus, there is an acute need for a green digital transition and regulations at multiple levels of governance (MLG) to enable digitalization but in a sustainable way. To produce policy recommendations on the twin transition in MLG, it is important to bring together leading experts on sustainability politics, digitalization, co-creation, democratic theory, and deliberative innovation with civil society, industry stakeholders, and policymaking representatives. SID 2025 represents a good opportunity for partners from the Horizon Europe project RECODE-MLG — Rethinking Co-creation of Digital and Environmental Policy in Systems of Multilevel Governance— but not only, to highlight the very latest research on these two concepts (green and digital) and the risks and societal impact of emerging technologies. In the same time, researchers from the Horizon Europe project RIBES — Regional Inclusive Biobased Entrepreneurship Solutions— will present the importance of governance solutions and innovative and personalized business models for promoting circular bio-economy value chains, with particular attention paid to sustainability, bio-based entrepreneurship solutions, thus contributing to strengthening rural development and innovation in the Sibiu region.

Quantum Computing is a transformative 21st-century technology set to revolutionize complex computation, information security, and medical diagnostics in industries like Healthcare, Finance, Manufacturing Industry, and Agriculture. The EU aims to lead globally in this field by fostering an ecosystem of excellence and innovation. In the coming years, quantum technologies will enable breakthroughs—from modelling biomolecular reactions beyond current supercomputing capabilities to ultra-secure communication and advanced disease diagnostics. Driven by quantum mechanics, research is advancing rapidly across computing, sensing, simulation, cryptography, and telecommunications. On 4-5 February 2025, UNESCO organized International Year of Quantum Science and Technology for create awareness about importance of Quantum Science and its applications in achieving Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Romania is stepping up its commitment to quantum computing through the national strategy in the field of quantum technologies for 2024–2029, officially approved by Government Decision no. 1028/2024. With the ambition to become a regional center of excellence in quantum applications, Romania seeks to harness the transformative potential of quantum technologies by fostering strong collaboration between public institutions, private sector players, and academia. Through the Digital Europe RONAQCI (Romanian National Quantum Communication Infrastructure) project and SID2025, Romania is aligning itself with these efforts.

On the other side, cybersecurity could be affected by quantum computing. Powerful quantum computers threaten to break cryptography techniques like RSA encryption, commonly used today to keep sensitive data and electronic communications secure. Shor’s algorithm, a quantum algorithm theorized in 1994, describes how a suitably powerful quantum computer (that could emerge around 2030) could very quickly find the prime factors of large numbers, a task that classical computers find extremely difficult. Thus, encryption techniques that relies on this challenge to protect data being shuttled around online are in danger. However, several companies (even from those participating at SID 2025) counter this threat by developing new encryption methods, collectively known as “post-quantum cryptography”—creating problems that even a powerful quantum computer wouldn’t be expected to have many advantages in trying to solve.

On the other hand, the pace of domain knowledge accumulation for employees of companies and the rhythm of the adaptation of the school curriculum to emerging technologies are much slower. Thus, it results in a major gap. School cannot be left behind. The education curricula should be keep up-to-date. Upskilling and lifelong learning for employees are mandatory to cope with these technologies. In addition to the aforementioned themes, Education, Blockchain technologies, and Digital Transformation in both industry and society continue to be focal points at SID2025. The conference serves as a valuable opportunity for all ULBS partners to share the latest research and innovation outcomes from their ongoing projects.

The event is looking to strengthen the collaboration among all these stakeholders, while also improving the way in which we understand and use the innovative services available in Transylvania and in the Sibiu region. The conference activities will emphasize current research and development concerns of companies active in the area, as well as create new opportunities for collaboration among participants active in a wide array of industries and fields. While highlighting contributions from Hasso-Plattner Knowledge Transfer Institute, active in the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, to the development of the local innovation ecosystem, the conference represents an important component in consolidating Sibiu City’s position as an emerging innovation center.

We are looking forward to having you as a guest at this unique event! Join us for a two days journey in innovation between November 6^th and 7^th 2025!