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The social innovation in clusters is a novelty for Romania and the paper presents a scientific method to evaluate and monitor of the social innovation performances in clusters. Clusters are drivers of entrepreneurship, innovation, economic growth and jobs. The paper intends to focus on the objectives related on the innovative capacity of clusters and of linkages that involve social relationships or networks that produce benefits for the cluster members, on the competitiveness of clusters and their potential of creating new jobs, on tools and measures to increase social innovation and on social awareness within cluster for closing the gap between the needs of cluster members and the educational/R&D output to reduce the gap between clusters from EU and Ro. From a methodological point of view, the research paper encompasses 4 components: 1) Cluster development in Romania and promotion of social innovation, 2) Elaboration of a scientific method to improve the cluster impact on innovation, economic growth and social integration, 3) Expected results using specific tools for the new method developed (social innovation audit; benchmarks; foresights; IP audit; specific questionnaires) and a large scale dissemination including: a Guide on social innovation in clusters in the near future; the creation of the Ro-EU cluster networks and a national platform for collaboration on social innovation in Romania, 4) Conclusions on cluster willingness to embrace this concept of social innovation primarily because there is a new sense of urgency in the need to find solutions to many of the clusters problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the structure of an e-learning system and applications designed and adapted to help the internet users to easy access to knowledges and courses, in order to improve the public awareness on environmental management and protection. The e-learning system has been developed using web technology and database programming in open-source software system, which allows easy updating and maintenance of the information contained. The e-learning platform includes actively and directly usable, updated information about the environment, relevant, representing an easy tool for: - Improving the public awareness for management and environmental protection; - Environmental knowledge transfer to specialized training environments, organizations with environmental impact and other stakeholders and also to the public. Based on the web platform for self-training and on-line assistance training, the target groups (environmental specialists from environmental organizations, as well as those from organization with environmental impact, higher education and the environmental education, general public, secondary and gymnasium school, etc.) will be trained in management and environmental protection. Beside of self-learning, the web platform users have unlimited access to a lot of interest aspects on environmental management and protection, like: legislation in domain, diverse types of management systems, links to the others specially sites, a discussion forum, cases studies, presentation of technologies for solving the environmental problems, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment is in continuous transformation because of human action and natural factors. The human society is beneficiary of the environment, which through its activity and creation can produce harmful or beneficial effects on it. This paper presents a the structure and application for a spatial database based on GIS (Geographic Information System) with environmental impact effects and phenomena, designed and adapted to help the public to easy know the effects and consequences of harmful practices in interaction with the environment. GIS database will be available online under web platform and allows online access to locations with environmental impact and problems. The structure contains layers and geographical information. The interaction and administration of the database will by assured by web interfaces. The applications will be based on analysis of a county from Romania. In terms of structural, conceptual and application level, it can be adapted to a region of any European country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]