UPGRADE 100 partnered with BCR to launch a dedicated education project in the Digital IQ series, designed to help Romanian SMEs make sense of - and access - EU funding for digital transformation. KFactory cofounder Vlad Cazan joined the broadcast as a guest speaker on SME digitalisation.
Funding amounts by enterprise size
The minimum grant per project is €20,000, with the maximum scaling by enterprise size, as above.
What was on the broadcast
The IQ Digital programme structured the conversation around three areas - the operational, the financial and the political - so that SMEs could leave the broadcast with both inspiration and an action list:
SME digitalisation - applied perspectives
Vlad Cazan (KFactory), Andrei Dumitrascu (Softlead), Catalin Rus (Prime Dash) and Lucian Ungureanu (Microsoft) shared applied insight on what digital transformation actually looks like inside an SME - from connecting the shop floor to picking the right tools.
Funding application - practical guidance
Oana Bara (BCR) walked through the practices and pitfalls of applying for PNRR digitalisation funding - what to prepare, how to structure the project, and where applications most often go wrong.
Programme strategy - government & banking view
Sergiu Cristian Manea (BCR), Bogdan Putinica (Microsoft), Marcel Bolos (Minister of Investments and European Funds) and Sebastian Burduja (Minister of Innovation, Research and Digitalization) discussed the strategic importance and applicability of the funding for the Romanian economy.
The session was moderated by Dragos Stanca, Smaranda Heroiu and Marian Hurducas.
Why this matters for KFactory
The PNRR window is a once-in-a-cycle catalyst for Romanian SMEs to digitise - and KFactory is built precisely for this stage of the journey. Our Industry 4.0 platform deploys in weeks rather than years, integrates with the existing equipment a manufacturer already owns, and is designed for non-IT teams to operate. SMEs evaluating their next step can take our free Industry 4.0 readiness assessment as a starting point.
Full IQ Digital recap: "Tot ce trebuie sa stii despre finantarea digitalizarii IMM-urilor" on iqdigital.ro →
Recap was published in Romanian.