Leveraging Centralized Procurement for Digital Innovation in Higher Education: Institutional Capacity and Policy Gaps in Romania

Liviu Corneliu Birleanu, Florin Lungu () and Corina Birleanu
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Liviu Corneliu Birleanu: Department of Management and Economic Engineering, Technical University from Cluj-Napoca, EUt+ - European University of Technology, European Union, Blv. Muncii nr. 103-105, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Florin Lungu: Department of Management and Economic Engineering, Technical University from Cluj-Napoca, EUt+ - European University of Technology, European Union, Blv. Muncii nr. 103-105, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Corina Birleanu: Mechanical Systems Engineering Department, Technical University from Cluj-Napoca, EUt+ - European University of Technology, European Union, Blv. Muncii nr. 103-105, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Administrative Sciences, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-22

Abstract: This paper investigates the strategic and institutional dynamics of centralized public procurement in Romania, with a specific focus on the National Office for Centralized Procurement (ONAC) and its role in enabling digital transformation across technical universities. Using a qualitative case study methodology, the research evaluates ONAC’s capacity to implement procurement policy aligned with sustainability and digital governance objectives. Drawing on official reports, legislative documents, and secondary data sources, the paper applies an analytical framework covering institutional performance, technological adaptation, and policy coherence. The findings highlight both the opportunities and challenges of centralized procurement, emphasizing systemic rigidities, underutilization of digital tools, and weak feedback mechanisms. The study contributes to the literature on strategic procurement and digital public management by offering a grounded assessment of governance capacity and sustainability alignment in a transitional EU context.

Keywords: centralized procurement; ONAC; digital transformation; public sector governance; Romanian universities; sustainability; institutional capacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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