Between July 7-8, 2026, Prof. Dr. Adina Magda Florea, Director of the AI Center at the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, and Prof. Dr. Ștefan Trăușan‑Matu, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, participated in the ENFIELD Final Conference, joining two sessions that reflected both strategic depth and the urgency of Europe’s AI moment.
The first session, “Shaping Europe’s AI Talent: Literacy, Training and Future Skills,” explored how AI is moving from experimental labs into the core of European industry, creating a pressing need for a workforce capable of combining technical excellence with sustainability, ethical responsibility, and human‑centric values. The discussion highlighted ENFIELD’s contributions to advancing AI literacy and training in Green and Trustworthy AI, while opening a broader reflection on education, upskilling, inclusion, and workforce readiness — themes that will shape Europe’s next generation of AI talent.
The second session, “From Lighthouse to Continent: ENFIELD and the Future of European AI Leadership,” focused on the future directions of AI in Europe, building on ENFIELD’s results and addressing the new challenges emerging across the continent. The debate examined how Europe can consolidate its leadership by aligning research, policy, and innovation with the strategic priorities proposed at EU level, and how networks of excellence can support a more cohesive and impactful AI ecosystem.
Across both sessions, the Romanian delegation emphasized how national academic excellence and strategic vision integrate into Europe’s broader ambition to strengthen collaboration, accelerate innovation, and translate research into tangible societal impact. Their presence reaffirmed Romania’s role within a continental effort to shape responsible, competitive, and sovereign AI development.
The conference brought together leading voices from academia, industry, and public policy, aiming to bridge the gap between foundational research and real‑world deployment. Discussions addressed infrastructure and resource constraints behind large‑scale AI systems, the importance of human‑centric and regulation‑aware design, and the interplay between robustness, security, energy efficiency, data quality, and explainability. A dedicated track focused on AI literacy, workforce development, and Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical sectors such as energy and space, underscoring the need to build capacity at scale.
The event concluded with ENFIELD presenting its strategic outcomes and roadmap, aligning its vision with Europe’s long‑term objectives for a resilient and future‑ready AI ecosystem. For HUB HRIA, this presence in Brussels reinforces our commitment to connecting Romania to Europe’s most influential AI dialogues and contributing to the frameworks that will define the continent’s technological future.
Romania’s presence in Brussels brought a clear and confident contribution to Europe’s evolving AI landscape.