Concordia Hub Est, the first regional center in eastern Romania dedicated to dialogue between the business community, local and county authorities, and the academic sector, was launched on Thursday in Iasi.
The new hub, headquartered in Iasi, brings together entrepreneurs and investors from the North-East Development Region, along with representatives of the South-East business environment. Its aim is to strengthen cooperation between businesses, public authorities and academic institutions.
At the event, Mirabela Miron, president of the Federation for Innovation and Sustainable Competitiveness in SMEs, said that given the major disparities between Romania's regions - from infrastructure to access to financing and human capital - such a regional platform becomes a key tool for reducing development gaps and accelerating sustainable economic growth.
Paul Aparaschivei, executive director of the Concordia Employers' Confederation, stressed that the hub's main mission is to build a business-friendly agenda through constant dialogue with local, central and European authorities. "We are talking about a permanent flow of dialogue and proposals to city halls, county councils, the Government, Parliament and European institutions. Around 70% of national legislation is influenced by decisions in Brussels, and the business sector must be an active part of this process," he said.
Dan Zaharia, regional manager of Concordia Hub Est, highlighted the region's strategic potential in the current geopolitical and economic context, noting that Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova represent major opportunities for business development. "The region can become a pivotal platform, not a dead end of Europe, in the context of Ukraine's reconstruction. The Suceava-Iasi-Galati-Constanta axis can become an essential growth and reindustrialization corridor under the security umbrella of the EU and NATO," he stated.
Vasile Asandei, director of the North-East Regional Development Agency, pointed to structural and mindset-related obstacles that hinder development in the east of the country, citing the lack of infrastructure, the difficulty of building a "winning mentality" in disadvantaged counties such as Vaslui or Botosani, and the perception that all decisions are made in Bucharest. In his view, the region's development depends on identifying opportunities, clearer planning, creating a regional investment map and strengthening cooperation between employers' associations and local organizations.
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