Analiza orizontală a Web site-urilor primăriilor municipiilor din România

Avansul tehnologic a avut un impact semnificativ asupra furnizării serviciilor din sectorul public. Primăriile din România adoptă digitalizarea ca parte a strategiilor lor de dezvoltare, având ca scop implementarea platformelor web pentru servicii publice, sporind eficiența și accesibilitatea pentru cetățeni. Pandemia COVID-19 a accelerat această tranziție digitală, determinând instituțiile publice să treacă de la servicii livrate în format tradițional la servicii online. Acest studiu evaluează adaptabilitatea primăriilor din România la digitalizare, oferind noi perspective asupra rezilienței instituțiilor publice în fața schimbărilor tehnologice. Va fi analizată furnizarea de servicii prin portalurile web oficiale ale celor 103 municipii din România, folosind 23 de indicatori pentru măsurarea diseminării e-serviciilor în contexte locale. Cercetarea dezvăluie progrese semnificative în transformarea digitală a serviciilor în timp (2014-2023), cu majoritatea municipiilor oferind funcționalități online, precum plata impozitelor pe proprietăți, informații despre transportul public și documentația de stare civilă. De asemenea, cercetarea relevă disparități în calitatea și disponibilitatea serviciilor, sugerând necesitatea unor standarde uniforme de digitalizare. Concluziile au rolul de a oferi sprijin științific decidenților politici, sprijină instituțiile publice în avansarea furnizării de servicii digitale și contribuie la cercetarea tehnologiei în reforma sectorului public

Industrial afterlife: a tale of three cities

Decommissioned old factories constitute valuable real estate assets as they are often placed in important positions inside the urban areas, they can be quite large in size and surface and they used to play a key role in the past in the development, economic and social life of the communities. Along the historical value, the sheer size of those “dead spaces” in our times, built according to long time gone size and structure of the cities or communities formed around them or even created specifically for their functionality, give today a new meaning to these structures that can hold a great potential of developing new focus points for the smart cities we are trying to create. For those reasons these buildings are reinvented as mixed-use spaces incorporating commercial, residential, cultural and recreational uses. The latest trend is to focus on the buildings' original features, such as brickwork, metalwork, arches and high ceilings, while incorporating contemporary technologies and modern amenities. Reusing these structures helps to preserve the area's historical character while introducing new life into the community and reconnect old circulation routes between the surrounding areas. In addition to boosting local economies and property values, these repurposed factories also reduce the environmental impact of new construction projects. Urban planners worldwide are recognizing the potential of these structures for revitalizing cities. We are going to present two Romanian old repurposed factories that were a valuable addition to the cities in their proximity, and the story of the oldest oil refinery in Romania that is now in the process of being totally transformed, hoping to bring new life to the city that was built around it. Three cities with three interesting stories and three historical industrial landmarks that are making the future of those cities look brighter, smarter, environmentally friendly and beautiful

Challenges and opportunities in designing data structures for a smart city

The Internet of Things generates a vast amount of data in smart cities. However, with the increasing popularity of cloud storage and the ever-improving hardware, data storage is no longer a problem. Despite this, there may still be a need to conduct research and analyze aspects such as data variety and velocity to address some technological issues. This paper explores the concepts of normalization and denormalization in SQL and NoSQL databases, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. It emphasizes the importance of carefully designing data structures in smart city applications. It is essential to consider the best approach to organize and manage information, taking into account the various areas of interest. To identify relevant data, analytics techniques are required to discover patterns, insights, and trends from large and complex data sets. One way to do this is through AI linked with Machine Learning. This approach can provide a better understanding of policy formulation, resource allocation, infrastructure planning, and service optimization. Additionally, we present a case study of a smart city application called SmartSantander, which illustrates how the use of NoSQL databases and denormalization can improve query performance. This could be a solution for addressing the data velocity problem. The article also emphasizes the importance of interoperability and cybersecurity in smart city data structure design. It highlights the use of JSON as a data interchange format and the need for secure data warehousing to protect sensitive information. Finally, our goal is to outline a solution that a smart city could implement to manage data effectively and securely. We propose using a hybrid approach that satisfies all its needs

PROTECȚIA DATELOR CU CARACTER PERSONAL ÎN ADMINISTRAȚIA PUBLICĂ ÎN CONTEXTUL SIGURANȚEI NAȚIONALE

Protecția datelor cu caracter personal în administrația publică reprezintă un pas important în evoluția digitalizării din România, astfel că această lucrare se concentrează asupra investigării și înțelegerii profunde a modalităților de colectare și protecție a informațiilor personale într-un context administrativ. De asemenea, este mai mult decât necesară o atenție sporită asupra modului în care acestea sunt păstrate, în paralel cu evaluarea nivelului de informare al cetățenilor cu privire la acest proces complex. În conformitate cu cercetările consacrate în SCRD JOURNAL, avansările recente din punct de vedere tehnologic conturează un cadru în care accesul la datele personale devine din ce în ce mai imperativ pentru a facilita recunoașterea cetățenilor în diverse contexte impuse de serviciile publice. Abordarea metodologică adoptată se caracterizează prin utilizarea unui sondaj de opinie extins, strategic construit pentru a evalua gradul de conștientizare al cetățenilor în ceea ce privește datele personale colectate de către entitățile administrației publice. Rezultatele obținute prin această cercetare furnizează o perspectivă esențială asupra impactului tehnologiei asupra cetățenilor și ilustrează nivelul de documentare al acestora în ceea ce privește gestionarea propriilor date confidențiale. Această analiză comprehensivă aduce o contribuție semnificativă la înțelegerea situației actuale din administrația publică din România, oferind, în același timp, o reflexie detaliată asupra optimizării strategiilor de protecție a informațiilor cu caracter personal, fără a ignora potențialele riscuri de scurgeri de date. Implicarea cetățenilor în acest proces devine astfel esențială pentru consolidarea unui cadru eficient și etic de protecție a datelor cu caracter personal

Natural disaster and measures needed to reduce them

The paper presents the importance of cooperation in natural distaster reduction identified trough the work we started in 2016, by organising the Forum dedicated to the International Day for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction, benefiting from a valuable mix of experts from academia, universities, government, as well as experts from the European Union and around the world, including SMEs and civil society. In recent years there has been an increase in the frequency of risk factors threatening the life and health of the population, the environment and national heritage values, as well as the emergence of new risk factors, generated in particular by radical climate change and the diversification of economic activities using, producing and trading hazardous substances/materials. The main focus was to obtain information and draft measures and steps that need to be taken in order to achieve sustainable development and environmental sustainability. The activity identified the need to create a permanent advisory council to discuss all events and solutions that prove reliable in the event of natural and other disasters.

Navigating face recognition technology: A comparative study of regulatory and ethical challenges in China and the European Union

Face recognition technology, while advancing rapidly, presents unique challenges in both China and the European Union (EU). This comparative study explores the distinct regulatory, ethical, and social obstacles each jurisdiction faces. In China, the widespread implementation of face recognition is facilitated by a supportive regulatory environment and a societal emphasis on security and surveillance. However, this has raised significant concerns regarding privacy, data security, and the potential for misuse by the authorities or private entities. In contrast, the EU’s stringent data protection laws, particularly the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), impose rigorous constraints on the deployment of face recognition technologies. These regulations aim to safeguard individual privacy but also create hurdles for technological advancement and implementation. Furthermore, public skepticism and ethical considerations in the EU limit the adoption of face recognition. This paper highlights the dichotomy between China's rapid technological adoption with lesser regulatory constraints and the EU’s cautious, privacy-centric approach, highlighting the need for a balanced framework that can navigate the ethical implications and privacy concerns while fostering technological innovation and addressing societal security needs in both regions

AI & Cybersecurity – connection, impacts, way ahead

Artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity have a strong connection and impact each other in different ways. An overview is related to the following categories: detection and prevention, automated response, adversarial AI, data protection, risk assessment, privacy concerns. Looking ahead, the linkage between AI and cybersecurity will continue to evolve. Key areas of focus include: development of AI-driven security solutions, ethical AI-use, enhanced threat intelligence, human-machine collaboration. Overall, AI holds tremendous potential to revolutionize cybersecurity, but it also presents new challenges that must be addressed to ensure a secure and resilient digital environment. The relationship between AI and cybersecurity is multifaceted. AI technologies are increasingly being employed both to enhance cybersecurity defenses and to facilitate cyberattacks. In addition to the above key points, is to mention the cybersecurity skills gap: with the growing complexity of cyber threats, there is a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. AI technologies can help bridge this gap by automating routine tasks and augmenting the capabilities of existing security teams.Behavioral analysis is another important element: AI-powered systems can analyze user and network behavior to identify anomalies that may indicate a security breach. By understanding typical behavior, AI can detect deviations that might signal an attack. Overall, the relationship between AI and cybersecurity is complex and evolving. While AI offers significant opportunities to enhance cybersecurity defenses, it also presents new challenges and risks that must be addressed. Ongoing research and development are essential to stay ahead of emerging threats in this rapidly evolving landscape

Implementation of mathematics model in public health: Albanian case study

This article presents a detailed examination of the application of the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) mathematical model in analyzing the COVID-19 pandemic in Albania. The study integrates the SIR model with real-world data, including vaccination rates and population statistics, to simulate the dynamics of the pandemic over a specified period. Our focus is on the comparison between the model's predictions and the actual epidemiological data from Albania, considering reported cases, recoveries, and fatalities. The simulation results are visualized through graphical representations, offering insights into the epidemic's progression and the effectiveness of public health interventions. This study also provides a projection for the year 2024, emphasizing the evolving nature of the pandemic and the role of mathematical modeling in public health decision-making. The comparison highlights the strengths and limitations of using the SIR model in real-world scenarios and underscores the importance of adaptive strategies in public health planning. This case study serves as an example of the critical role of mathematical models in understanding and managing public health crises

The Internet environment in Bulgaria as a basis of digital transformation and smart governance

Smart cities' goals highlight the need for better interconnectedness, transparent and efficient governance and more effective public services. European cities have been leading the way on smart city development for over a decade. These cities are pioneers in testing and implementing innovative, sustainable and integrated solutions to become greener, more efficient, and better places for life. The Internet is the basis of all these novel developments and the quality of the net environment is crucial for the accomplishment of the digital transformation goals. The project "Conducting a national assessment of Internet development in Bulgaria through the framework of “UNESCO Internet Universality indicators" is closely related to the principles of the global initiative "Partnership for Open Government": transparency, civic participation, accountability and technological innovation. UNESCO's Internet Universality Framework is a multi-stakeholder research tool designed to produce substantive and far-reaching findings that will be of real value to policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders to improve the quality of digital policy development and implementation. The assessment through the “UNESCO Internet Universality indicators" is a unique instrument for the evaluation of the national Internet environment and its use. So far, several countries from all continents have undertaken this challenging exercise. After Germany, Bulgaria is the second European country that have produced such comprehensive report following a detailed procedure. Through transparency, awareness and effective multistakeholder collaboration (governments, civil society, private sector, academia, the technical community, the journalistic community, etc.), we have gathered, consolidated and up-dated information about the network and the quality of services in Bulgaria, which is essential for an open, globally connected, secure and reliable Internet and sustainable digital transformation. The main method used is the desktop and comparative research but for some areas an analysis of extracts from interviews have been included. As a result of our experience gained during the implementation of the project, we made two types of proposals – international and national. The first group of proposals addressed UNESCO with the aim of refining the process of formulating new indicators and improving old ones based on the accumulated national practice. The second group of proposals comprised recommendations to statistical institutions, policy makers and legislators. The report produced is a valuable asset for both theoreticians and practitioners. It allows them to see all problems concerning the Internet in a systematic manner. Statistics analyzed show that Bulgaria lost 10 positions in a year in the global digital quality of life index, the country's e-government is above the world average but the country ranks 36th in terms of Internet accessibility. Being a good start for the elaboration of appropriate digital policy and legislation and for the enrichment of national statistics the report served also as a test of the effective implementation of the multistakeholders’ approach in Bulgaria.

Smart Governance in Kazakhstan: A Systematic Review and Analysis of Development, Challenges, and Future Directions

This research examines how Kazakhstan is gradually implementing smart governance practices, studying how these efforts are changing government operations, improving citizen participation, and encouraging more transparency in policy-making. Kazakhstan's dedication to integrating digital tools and methods into governance gives rise to important inquiries regarding the efficiency of these initiatives and how well they adhere to worldwide norms for modern governance. As Kazakhstan aims to become a digitally advanced nation, it is crucial to comprehend the impacts and potential challenges of smart governance.  By combining recent literature, this research offers a thorough evaluation of Kazakhstan's smart governance strategy, which concentrates on digital infrastructure growth, public participation, policy openness, and data protection. Initially, advancements in digital infrastructure are the foundation of an agile, effective governance system, facilitating improved service access for the public. Furthermore, smart governance promotes a collaborative atmosphere that enhances public trust and inclusivity through encouraging citizen engagement. Thirdly, highlighting policy transparency facilitates accountability, leading to a governance framework that follows global standards. Ultimately, maintaining data security is crucial to guaranteeing that digital governance remains strong and reliable. This paper concludes with a series of specific recommendations for improving Kazakhstan's smart governance capabilities and overcoming existing constraints. In this way, it aims to help achieve Kazakhstan's overall sustainable development objectives and add to the wider conversation on efficient smart governance in developing countries. These suggestions offer practical advice that could help policymakers and stakeholders advance Kazakhstan's digital governance evolution