Marian Siminică

This paper investigates the predictors of perceived financial knowledge among the adult population in Romania, using a multivariate logistic regression model based on data collected through a nationally representative survey conducted in early 2023. The following predictors were analyzed: real financial knowledge, socio-demographic and economic factors (age, education, income, gender, region), financial resilience (ability to cover major expenses), financial fragility (concerns about regular expenses), and financial behavior variables (affordability consideration). The findings reveal that the Romanians’ perceived financial knowledge is positively associated with real financial knowledge, higher education levels, younger age (18–39), and financial resilience, particularly the ability to cover major expenses without external help. Conversely, individuals from economically less developed regions, with lower household income and lower education levels recorded lower odds of reporting higher perceived financial knowledge. The study emphasizes the need for targeted financial education programs adapted to the specific needs of different population segments, and recommends a collaborative approach between public authorities, the private sector, and NGOs to enhance financial resilience and well-being in Romania. In the study, comparative references to other countries are included to provide contextual discussion.

The article emphasizes the importance of financial education in developing responsible and informed investor behavior. In Romania, although interest in investing in financial markets has increased, there is still a small number of investors compared to bank depositors. The majority of the population prefers to save in government securities. In this context, the level of financial education is essential: it allows the investor to understand the risks, choose the right instruments and decide the proportion of investments. Lack of knowledge leads to reluctance, fear of loss and the mistaken idea that large amounts are needed to invest. Stock market investments can, however, be accessible to anyone, even with small amounts, if they are made over the long term and in a diversified portfolio. A simple alternative for diversification is to replicate a stock index. The comparative analysis between the returns on bank deposits and stock market investments (period 2019-2025) showed significant differences: bank deposits generated a cumulative return of 16%, while monthly investments in the BET index structure brought a cumulative return of 95%. Although capital market investments involve risks and fluctuations, their profitability is clearly superior to classic savings. Financial education is thus the key to transforming the public into a conscious investor, capable of making rational and profitable decisions in the long term.

Research background: The ongoing digital transformation within the European Union's banking sector, driven by the adoption of financial technologies (FinTech) and artificial intelli-gence (AI), has introduced substantial opportunities for enhancing operational efficiency, customer service personalization, and financial outreach. However, these innovations also generate strategic complexity, intensify competition from non-bank digital entrants, and create disparities in adaptation capacity across financial institutions. Despite a growing body of literature on this topic, empirical investigations remain limited regarding how these technologies differentially affect banks, based on their existing performance levels. Purpose of the article: This study examines the extent to which FinTech and AI integration influences financial performance across banks in all 27 EU member states. Specifically, it investigates whether these technological drivers yield uniform effects or whether their impact varies across banks depending on their baseline performance. The analysis is grounded in the premise that FinTech and AI are not inherently per-formance-enhancing and that their effects may depend on context, capacity, and strategy. Methods: Employing a panel quantile regression model, the analysis is based on a balanced panel dataset spanning the 2017–2023 period. To address both short- and long-term dynamics, the study complements its core estimation with a vector error correction model (VECM) and validates the robustness of findings through sys-tem-based regression techniques. The econometric framework incorporates bank-specific instruments and lagged performance metrics, with a particular focus on return on equity (ROE) as the dependent variable. Findings & value added: The results indicate that the adoption of FinTech and AI is associated with signif-icant improvements in performance metrics, particularly among well-capitalized or technologically agile banks. However, institutions with weaker fundamentals may experience limited or even adverse effects. These findings suggest that the performance implications of innovation are conditional, not universal. The paper contributes by offering a distribution-sensitive analysis that refines our under-standing of technological transformation in EU banking and provides actionable insights into strategic decision-making and regulatory oversight. Also, the results offer practical implications for bank executives considering strategic technology investments, as well as for regulators aiming to design supportive, risk-sensitive digital finance policies.

This study explores the interplay between digital transformation and environmental sustainability in four emerging European Union economies—Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Romania—through the lens of geographic information science and technology (GIS&T). Leveraging panel data from 2010 to 2022, digitalization is quantified through infrastructure, affordability, and user adoption metrics, consolidated into a comprehensive digitalization index. Environmental sustainability is assessed via greenhouse gas emissions and the share of renewable energy in total energy consumption, capturing critical spatial and ecological dynamics. Applying a generalized linear model, the results reveal that enhanced digital infrastructure and affordability contribute to emissions reduction, whereas increased user adoption correlates with higher energy demand and emissions. Furthermore, digitalization fosters improved integration of renewable energy sources, highlighting the strategic role of GIS&T in monitoring and optimizing sustainability initiatives. These insights emphasize the necessity of embedding geospatial analytics into policy frameworks to align digital transformation with environmental and socioeconomic sustainability goals.

Agricultural financing is a key global topic impacting sustainable development, food security, and environmental protection. This article presents a bibliometric analysis of research evolution in agricultural financing from 1975–2025, using the Web of Science and VOSviewer 1.6.18 platforms. The findings indicate a significant increase in interest, with agricultural financing emerging as a critical pillar for sector sustainability. Research in this field is shaped by a global network of collaborations, supported by major international organizations, contributing to innovative policy development. The study highlights key themes such as climate change, food security, and access to financing, as well as the diversification of financial resources. Countries with strong agricultural traditions have been central to this process, while others with fewer resources have achieved excellence through strategic approaches. Recent research underscores the role of agricultural financing in fostering a sustainable sector, with a focus on advanced technologies and international partnerships. This study provides a preliminary bibliometric overview of the evolution and growth of agricultural financing, identifying key influencing factors. It contributes to the existing literature and offers directions for future research, emphasizing emerging trends and significant academic contributions in the field.

Objectives: This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to map key trends in the digitalization of medicine, a rapidly evolving field that incorporates advancements such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and Big Data. The analysis aims to identify the most prolific authors, highly cited works, leading countries, and contributions from research institutions, while also exploring emerging trends through keyword analysis. Methods: A dataset comprising 2606 scientific papers was retrieved from the Web of Science database. The analysis was performed using bibliometric techniques and VOSviewer software to evaluate citation patterns, author productivity, country activity, and institutional contributions. Results: The findings reveal a substantial increase in research activity on the digitalization of medicine, with notable contributions from Germany, the USA, and China. These countries host leading academic institutions actively driving the field. Keyword analysis highlights emerging trends in artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and Big Data. Extensive international collaborations further underscore the global nature of this research domain. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution and current trends in the digitalization of medicine. Conclusions: It highlights the significant role of international collaboration and identifies key areas of development, offering valuable insights for future research directions in this dynamic sector.

The core of sustainable public procurement lies in its ability to stem uneconomical public expenditures that waste taxpayer money and stifle social trust and development. The external audit of public procurement proves problematic since current research fails to provide sufficient empirical studies aimed at identifying procurement fraud. The development of online portals with embedded e-procurement solutions, along with the big data revolution, open new horizons and allow us to reveal trends otherwise impossible to spot, such as transactions achieved in an exclusive commercial relationship, in which a vendor engages only with a single public entity. By using innovative data acquisition techniques, our research encompasses 2.25 million online direct public procurement procedures conducted in 2023 using the Romanian portal for public procurement, totaling EUR 3.22 billion. By aggregating databases obtained from various public sources, our analysis achieved remarkable granularity, using over 112 million data elements—50 pertaining to each transaction. Research results indicate a unique sub-population of public procurement procedures—those conducted with “in-house” vendors totaling 14.28% of all direct public acquisitions and which is significantly differentiated along the entire list of analyzed criteria—financial, geographical, statistical, or risk-wise—illustrating a troubling phenomenon: possible gerrymandering of the online public procurement landscape, which, at least in theory, resembles a perfect market, by cultivating preferential commercial relations, thus affecting the legality, regularity, and economical aspects of public procurement.

Bakery products, and bread specifically, represent an important part of the Romanian diet. Whether this situation is motivated by quality factors or by quantitative factors is an important aspect that needs to be investigated. In addition, the relation between peoples’ interest in a particular product such as bread during a crisis period should point out important characteristics of that population. Aiming at determining both the influencing factors of bakery product consumption and the importance given to this type of product in the media during a crisis, this empirical study highlights the profound connections between income level and the fear of not having food security for the people of a less developed country such as Romania. The study considers the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to reach its objectives. The results point to a strong reliance of the respondents on cheap white-flour bakery products in their regular diet, and a significant increase in interest in bakery products during the COVID-19 pandemic.