Evolution of the IT Industry and its Development Potential

The IT & C industry is currently the industry's fastest growing sector, doubling its turnover over the past six to seven years, to 6% of GDP at the end of 2017. The present study is based on secondary research related to the evolution of the IT & C industry in Romania in the last decade, plus a market research based on interviewing some of the players in the IT & C market, what challenges they face in Romania, their development plans and the advantages that Romania offers compared to other countries. The main challenge facing IT & C companies in Romania now, according to the research results, is that of the skilled labor force. IT & C companies have also resorted to in-house staffing solutions to develop further. Thus another result of the research was that hiring is done from college or even from the gray area of the labor force. Despite the fact that the supply of specialized personnel is below the growing demand, IT & C companies appreciate the Romanian staff, especially the young people. They have a very good knowledge of foreign languages, especially English, far above the level of young people in the neighboring countries. This, coupled with very good math skills, as well as creativity and readiness to learn and work, makes them extremely valuable for those companies. The study is limited to making an X-ray of the current situation and needs to be extended to the measures necessary for our country to maintain this advantageous position as a leader in the European Union in terms of the number of IT & C employees per capita.