Activity Report 2004 (synthesis)
RAPID-EASY-CHIP Alignment to the EU standards
Transylvania Business Center – CAT, non-profit, apolitical and decentralized regional association, whose main purpose is the promotion of the CAT’s member companies and the implementation of programs for local and global development, has constantly achieved its objectives and functions, contained in its Status and Working Regulation.
The Action Program for 2004 was established in order to start the implementation of the EDUTainment-CULTainment projects. It has been established a new success for our business community in producing sustainable activities – long term lasting activities on a local and regional plan, based on the “Transition-to-Innovation” (T-2-1 & T-4-1) principles and the Fast-Easy-Cheap integration in the European structures – global economy.
Our main objectives regarding the diminution of the centralization, biroracy and the dematerialization and virtualization of activities, simultaneously with the creation of the conditions to assert the direct real and virtual relations: “one-to-one”, “link-to-link” and “business-to-business”, were reached. CAT Cluj, became one of the most useful mechanisms of the new economy. Our organization, the first virtual business center in Europe, in 2004 started to test the virtual bureaus for each employer-”freelancer”.
The number of associated companies has increased in the EDUtainment-CULTainment year, with only 1,6% from 1467 to 1491. Over 1000 of CAT’s associated companies are connected to Internet and have websites, 38% of them have developed interactive pages or electronic Shops. They were included in the FIRST TRANSILVANIA ELECTRONIC MARKET. The main site for the development of virtual activities CAT@CAT , has more than 380 interactive pages, programs and on-line databases, other facilities for fast information for our member, as well as potential clients, suppliers, investors and partners. The number of visitors exceed 57.300 for http://e-cat.ro and 40.700 visitors for http://e-bursa.ro. The number of visitors of the CAT pages exceed 390.750, which in year 2004 was 130.190, with a frequency of 357 potential partners a day or 14,9accesari/ore.
The first Multicultural Cybercity www.ClujNapoca.ro was permanently updated and is equipped with two mirror sites: www.kolozsvar.ro and www.klausenburbb.ro. The site contains the most important information about the history and present of the bimillenary town. The site was has 62 pages containing dates and photographs about: art, culture, education, sport, tourism, public utilities, institutions, business, etc. It gas the first VIRTUAL MAYOR in the world and a Virtual Council, an electronic system of eVOT, an chat-FORUM and many other important links.
CAT continued to attend at the realization of the following projects of the European Committee:
LIRIC – European Syndicate formed from partners from: Italy, Great Britain, France, Romania (CAT), Poland, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, reunited together for the development of the Territorial Marketing and the creation of the Virtual Knowledge Warehouse http://e-cat.ro/liric.html
IRC – Innovation Relay Center- National Syndicate coordinated by CRIMM-Bucharest, formed by partners from Timisoara, Iasi, Calarasi http://e-cat.ro/irc.
The Research and Development Department (R&D) supported the programs addressed to young people and where 30 pupils and 120 students from LBC- Lyceum Business Center- Eco Junior and CasT-FSE participated. The companies member in CAT have supported the students to be involved in practical activities and some of them offered jobs to the students. CAT supported some activities initiated by the students’ associations ASEE, AISEEC, BEST, Job-Shop and other.
CAT continued the deliver of the first course on mBIZ (mobile business/e-commerce) for the students of the European Studies Faculty – the section European Institution Management http://e-cat.ro/mkniowledge.html, using the most advanced methods of teaching the new European concepts and technologies in business domain. At the same time was develop our new research technique applied in top technologies area – IC&T, respectively the PECS=Penetration- Eruption- Capture- Storage model. This model will be developed in the realization of the Knowledge Warehouse – from the LIRIC-EU project. Were sustained the new masterates from the FSE-UBB, respectively Cultural Management and the Projects Management.
The main objective of Research – Documentation, created in collaboration with the “Babes-Bolyai” University from Cluj-Napoca, was direct supported through then new project IRC-Innovation Relay Center. CAT became “Innovation Support Organization”, being approved as partner institution to the trans-european research and cooperation projects. The documentation-investigation – innovation center have the headquarters on Bratianu Street, nr.22, 1 floor- FSE Library.
The R&D Department has maintained a direct relation with the European Commission, supplying with materials and information the first mBIZ group from. This group was created in 2001 and has 18 companies member http://e-cat.ro/gmb.html . CAT-EUnit Team continues to promote the projects for the Framework Programe 6- FP6 to the European Commission.
The collaboration with the CRIMM Foundation from Bucharest was materialized through the realization of the project for the creation of the national network IRC- Innovation Relay Center.
CAT was one of the organizers of the “Globalization, Globalism, Globality” international seminar, which took place in Cluj-Napoca in 21-23 October 2004, in collaboration with the European Study University- “Babes-Bolyai” University. Prof.Dr.Radu-Adrian Mlesnita and Miss Bianca Muntean – the Director of the Innovation-Development Department, have presented the concept named “n2n-Networking the Networks” http://www.n2n.ro.
The sites of this department are http://e-cat.ro/catresearch.html , http://e-cat.ro/lbcro.html ,http://e-cat.ro/catshop.html , http://e-cat.ro/plicutiadacat.html , http://e-cat.ro/specat.html .
The CATraining&Consulting Departament achieved for our companies 6 missions of free assistance trough the NMCP-Netherlands experts and 8 through SES-Germany experts. The division for the UE projects drew up 2 projects for local development (but which unfortunately were not approved by the PHARE Program-Romania), as well as 5 intentions of participation in the 6FP Program of European Commission. Were granted over 3000 hours of free consulting to the associated companies, as well as to potential partners from Romania or foreign countries. There were organized promotional meetings for business links, from which 20 of IMM beneficed.
At the SME’ fair – Made in Cluj-Napoca (16-19 September, Expo Transilvania) was organized a workshop, where Prof.Dr. Radu-Adrian Mlesnita presentated the exposure “Net2Net”, based on the advanced concepts of the european networks: IRC, SES, LIRIC.
The work site of the department: http://e-cat.ro/consulting.html , http://e-cat.ro/catraining.html , http://e-cat.ro/expert.html and http://e-cat.ro/catranslation.html.
The Relations Department http://e-cat.ro/catravel.html has intensified its effort to find fairs and exhibitions, as well as extern partners for the CATs companies. 8 economic missions were organized, in foreign countries (SUA, France-France Antilles, Austria, Belgium, Nether land, Spain, Hungary, Cuba, Mexico) where 12 companies and 16 businessman participated, in:.
The areas of interests requested by the CATs member companies for the participation to international fairs and expositions were: ITC, civil construction, furniture, sport articles, motorcars and accessories, confections, cosmetics, alimentary products si gastronomy, tourism, investments and cooperation in production.
Electronic exchange http://e-bursa.ro and the 28 virtual rings were tied on the most important intern and extern source of information. It operates on-line on the suggested categories of products and sectors by the Transylvanian companies.
Through the Electronic Exchange were introduced over 320 demands/offers for products and services, ensuring the total transparence and accessibility to SMEs. The bindings between E-BURSA and other similar sites from the country and foreign countries opened the free access of our companies to the Single Market and Global Market. Electronic magazine piat@zi is at http://e-cat.ro/e-bursa.html and http://e-cat.ro/v-bursa.html.
The cooperation with the APM- The Employer and Handicraftsman Association from Cluj, UGIR 1903 and ARIES drove to the important business actions and to the development of the CAT programs, especially for the small cities and communes from Transylvania. S-a realizat o legatura permanenta cu Breslele Transilvane si s-au pus bazele Uniunii Asociatiilor Patronale si de Afaceri Cluj.
In supporting clothing design and the Transylvania Fashion Program-The Transylvanian Stylish Guild, CAT co-financed the events that were organized by Mikotronic-Show Master.
CAT supported in a traditional way the cultural-artistic events in the benefit of the community and of the Romanian Opera, National Theatre Transylvanian Philharmonic Orchestra Visual Arts and Design University, Babes-Bolyai University, History Museum of Transylvania, Art Museum, The state Archive-Archivist’s Association, Army Circle, Economical High school, Gheorghe Sincai high school, and other institutions.
The cooperation with the local authorities: Romanian Government, the European Integration Department, MAE – the UE Department and the Exterior Trading Department, the Romanian Embassies from abroad and the embassies of different other countries from Bucharest continued. It participated at multilateral reunions organized for the projects financed by European Committee: LIRIC, IRC and IST 2004.
Monthly, there were sent business information, leaflets, publications and offers/requests to the CAT members through the classical “Letter” as well as through e-mail. The monthly newsletters can be re-read on the internet at http://e-cat.ro/tbreview.htmlbecause it contains the concrete activities realized in the previous period. The relationship between CAT and the written and virtual media were constantly developed. Beside the local and national newspapers, radio and TV stations partners to CAT the “eWEEK” publication, which sustaines the IC&T programs of CAT, the “eWEEK” magazine, which supports the IC&T programs, “Cluj-Napoca” “ClujINFO”, “7 SERI”, “ZILEsiNOPTI” also supports the image and local development projects.
The Administration Department (http://e-cat.ro/cinesuntem.html) leaded the generalization process of flexible work- Mobile Working The CAT staff adopted in a proportions of 95% the e-working style, working in TAM -Total Autonomic Mobility (4-0=anywhere=anytime=anybody=anything) using the Internet. The payments and discounts were made in proportion of 75% through i-Banking and cards. Accounting activities, WebHosting-ICT, Supplying, Transport, Correspondence, Training, Consulting, BusinessLinks were externalized through outsourcing with CAT firms.
The Administration Department was passed in mKM-mobile Knowledge Management system, the mobility and virtualization of our organization has increased to 80%. The Direction Committee meetings took place on-line, using Yahoo Messenger Multimedia(audio-video).
The Working space was reduced to the minimum for secretariat – administration and the activities and services of the employees were developed “on field-at-clients” and “without maps-everything electronic”. We reached a high level of sustainability and we reduced with over 15% the consumption of material (paper, furniture, equipments) and energy but we doubled the costs of mobile communication(Tmobil, Internet, mTerminals) and the investments in knowledge.
Owe objective concerning the digitalization of the CATs firms was not totally achieved , because of the slow rhythm of the deductions made by the associated companies, donors and sponsors on-line. This purpose is a priority in CAT Program 2004. The alignment and integration of the financial-accountant-banking-fiscal Romanian system in the european-digital systems will allow CAT to pass from the virtual electronic status to the mobile virtual eCAT-2-mCAT, creating for the users that relaxing-comfort total profitable which we all want.
The Administration Department closed the Accounting Balance for 2003 and gave it to the Direction Committee (http://e-cat.ro/catclub.html) and to the Auditing Committee; the main indicators are:
A. Incomes from:
* Economic activities �������������.. .1.791.211.722 lei
- Own activities ………………………………………………………….563.220.662 lei – 31,4 %
- Grants from abroad (UE, NMCP, SES) …………………….1.202.571.946 lei – 67,1 %
- Donations, sponsorships …………………………………………………………….0 lei
- Interests, financial incomes ……………………………………………25.419.113 lei – 2,5 %
TOTAL ROL …………………………………………………………1.791.211.722 Lei
TOTAL Incomes EUR ………………………………………………………45.347 Euro
B. Expenses with:
* Economic activities …………………………………………………………………..0 lei
* Own activities ……………………………………………………….1.596.435.629 lei – 100%
TOTAL ROL …………………………………………………………1.596.435.629 Lei
TOTAL Expenses EUR …………………………………………………….40.416 Euro
C. Surplus/Deficit: Lei: Lei: + 229.202.000; EURO: + 5.802
* Exchange: 1 euro= 39.500 lei
The total assets value (increased/ decreased) comparing the provisions year with 358.313.000 lei, 20%, reaching in 31.12.04 the sum of 1,791milliards lei (from which assets: immobilizations assets lei and circulants 853.146.000 lei).
The Creances value of 83,7 millions have been placed mainly at the subscripted members (98%) and some of the suppliers. The recovery of these sums was programmed for the first trimester of the year 2005 and actions will be taken against the members which have not fulfilled their obligations.
The debts are in total sum of 1,071 milliard lei and are mainly placed to the personal loan without interest given by the founder president of CAT as a result of the payment delay to the projects that LIRIC has unrolled, ViVa and ENERGIA, from the European Committee.
The surplus registered in sum of 229,2 millions lei is used for the partial covering of the accounting deficits from the previsions years caused by the debts of the European Committee.
In 2004 CAT was distinguished with the Excellence Diploma accorded by the APM, the Honor Diploma-Top Firms accorded by the Commerce and Industry Chamber. CAT became ARIES member.
In the end we would like to bring the warmest thanks to all our members, to the whole staff and to the young collaborators, auditors, guild’s leaders, residence directors and independent CAT leaders from the Transylvanian towns, and to our programs sponsors. The support and efforts that they made for maintaining our organization one of the most efficient and sustainable Business Centers from this area, leaded to the enforcement of the CAT image on a internal , european and international plan. Likewise we thank the European Committee from Brussels to accept CAT in LIRIC IRC Consorts and it’s delegation in Romania, which co-financed in 2000-2001 our successful program: Business Link BREurope it’s results we see today.
The documents are at the disposal of the members at the CAT’s headquarters, Blvd. Nicolae Titulescu no. 4, room 1, tel/fax: 0264-433768, 414086, mobile: 0722-517223 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0722-517223 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, e-mail: cat@e-cat.ro. They can be examined on the Internet at http://www.e-cat.ro/raport04.html for preparing the debates of the General Assembly, on the 17th of March 2004, 15:00 pm. The General Assembly will take place pfisically as well as virtually (Internet – Yahoo Messenger Multimedia-AudioVideo Confferince at: raduadrianm).
PresidentMat.Mircea Fodoca Ec.Iulia Movileanu
General Manager Accountant
Cluj-Napoca, April 25, 2002