Ilie PANDACIUC, founder of Be Smart (RO), on digitalization as a real support for administration and investments, in the context of the launch of the ro-md.capdr.ro platform by the CAPDR Cross-Border Cooperation Center – Ștefănești
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On January 30, 2026, at the Ștefănești City Hall, Botoșani County, the Romania – Republic of Moldova – Ukraine Working Meeting took place, an event dedicated to strengthening cross-border cooperation and the role of public administration in developing and implementing regional development strategies. In this context, the CAPDR Cross-Border Cooperation Center – Ștefănești was also launched.
The meeting was organized by the Center for Analysis and Planning of Regional Development (CAPDR), in partnership with ADR Chișinău, and hosted by the Ștefănești City Hall.
The event brought together approximately 60 representatives of local public administrations and institutions from the suburbs of Chișinău municipality, the Northern Region of the Republic of Moldova, Botoșani, Suceava, and Iași counties, as well as from the cross-border cooperation eligibility area in Ukraine.
Thematic Framework and Objectives of the Meeting
The meeting agenda focused on “The Role of Public Administration in Developing and Implementing Development Strategies”, within the context of the Interreg NEXT Romania – Republic of Moldova 2021–2027 Project, implemented by CAPDR and ADR Chișinău.
The project component aimed at creating an institutional framework for dialogue and practical cooperation between public authorities, associative organizations, and experts from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, with an emphasis on regional development and cross-border cooperation.
During the meeting, the concept “From Dialogue to Action” was also presented through the introduction of the CAPDR Cross-Border Cooperation Center – Ștefănești. Discussions covered aspects related to the center’s establishment, member structure, current activities, projects developed by its members, as well as its role in national and international representation.
Following the working session, the agenda continued with a visit to the future headquarters of the CAPDR Cross-Border Cooperation Center – Ștefănești, as well as an institutional networking session hosted at the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University base in Ștefănești. This stage was dedicated to strengthening the RO–MD–UA network, identifying joint projects, exchanging contacts, and outlining cooperation perspectives within thematic working groups.
Ilie Pandaciuc (Be Smart): Digitalization as a Real Support for Administration and Investments
A key point of discussion was the contribution of IT solutions in facilitating institutional dialogue, optimizing administrative processes, and creating functional collaboration mechanisms between public authorities in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.
The founder and representative of the IT company Be Smart (Romania), Ilie Pandaciuc, presented the company’s experience and expertise in digital transformation, emphasizing the direct applicability of IT solutions in public administration activities.
“We are an IT company from Romania working with both the private sector and public institutions. Essentially, we carry out digitalization projects and everything related to digital transformation,” explained Ilie Pandaciuc, highlighting that Be Smart’s activities are not limited to traditional services but also include the development of proprietary platforms.
A concrete example is the MetricBiz platform developed by the company, which aggregates and processes company data, providing local authorities with useful tools for public procurement, economic analysis at the local, regional, or national level, as well as for attracting investors.
“Some of your colleagues already use this platform, either for public procurement, economic analysis, or attracting investors to localities,” he noted.
Ilie Pandaciuc emphasized that the company’s experience in digitalization spans over 15 years, with a portfolio including major projects such as the development of the Internet Banking application for UniCredit Bank, as well as collaborations with other banking institutions in Romania and abroad.
“We have solid expertise in this area and are open to discussing specific solutions with authorities that need them,” added the Be Smart representative.
Ion Ștefanovici (CAPDR): Digitalization, the Bridge Between Dialogue and Action
The President of CAPDR, Ion Ștefanovici, complemented the IT perspective with an institutional view, underlining digitalization as a practical tool to simplify and make cross-border cooperation more efficient.
“In practice, digitalization consists of technical formulas that improve our lives,” stated Ion Ștefanovici, explaining that without functional digital platforms, cooperation between institutions becomes cumbersome, especially in cross-border contexts. He gave a concrete example: interacting with partners from Odesa or the Republic of Moldova under challenging conditions, such as winter, should not require repeated travel or manual document handling.
“Data and documents must be uploaded to the platform. I take them from there, you take them from there, everyone finds them there,” explained the CAPDR president, stressing the need for secure, certified digital systems compliant with current legislation. “These are confidential data, and everything must be done to fully meet all legal requirements,” he added.
From CAPDR’s perspective, digitalization represents an essential means to transform institutional dialogue into concrete actions, joint projects, and measurable results for communities in the Romania – Republic of Moldova – Ukraine cooperation area.
From Technology to Institutional Cooperation
The interventions of both speakers outlined a clear direction: the success of cross-border cooperation increasingly depends on the capacity of public administrations to adopt modern, secure, and interoperable digital solutions. The launch of the CAPDR Cross-Border Cooperation Center – Ștefănești is thus part of a broader effort to connect technical expertise with the real needs of administrations and regional development objectives.
By combining institutional vision with the practical experience of the IT sector, the Ștefănești meeting demonstrated that digitalization can become a solid pillar of cross-border cooperation and a catalyst for sustainable development of the involved regions.
