A beneficiary of the special scholarship program launched by the government in 2004, Ilie, 33, took a public sector job he won in a contest, after completing his education in Germany.
He worked in the public sector for five years as stipulated in the contract, during which he served as personal advisor to Culture Minister Adrian Iorgulescu (in the Tariceanu Cabinet from August 2005 through December 2008) and then to Theodor Paleologu (in the Boc Cabinet from December 2008 through December 2009). Ilie then became the head of governmental institution department handling European funds, where he oversaw as many as 20 non-repayable funding projects at times.
He set up his European fund consultancy firm, Mobile Outlook, in the middle of this year and the application was launched on www.euro-strategic.com.
“The application is structured on two user levels: iPhone and iPad users who have no knowledge about European funds, or have just found out about them, and professionals who work with European funds,” Ilie said. “For instance, consultants can show clients what financing opportunities are available right away using these devices.”
This is one of the first applications covering structural funds developed as far as ZF can tell.
Ionut Ilie says he did not develop the application to make money from it, so that he only inserted two or three web links announcing his company provides advisory services.
Mobile Outlook has 16 employees in its two divisions (IT and consultancy). The application is currently available only for iPhone and iPad; a version running on Android devices may be launched by yearend provided there are enough interested users.
The team of consultants working for Mobile Outlook was recruited from among professionals with seven or eight years of experience in working with European funds. “They were not public servants, they were contract employees,” Ilie added.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)