Galati County Council has unveiled its plans for the new software park being built in the city, a EUR 40 million project through which Council's president Costel Fotea seeks to turn the city on the Danube best known for its steel plants into an IT center of excellence.

The project of the building represents a major investment and is seen as an engine of economic and social development, but the Council has not disclosed whether the project was preceded by talks with IT companies or by a feasibility study. Similar initiatives, not of this size though, preexisted in the city with no notable outcome.

The Software Park will be developed inside a former placement center, a building already owned by the County Council. 15% of the investment will be allocated to the rehabilitation of the building and its transformation into a Software Park, and the rest of the investment will be used to equip the Software Park with the most modern equipment and IT systems. The project will be submitted for financing under the Just Transition Program 2021-2027 (a scheme for regions hit by decarbonization).

"These facilities will support both research and innovation, as well as the development of competitive IT products and solutions on the global market," a statement from the County Council states.

In addition to the educational and research component, the Software Park will also function as a business hub. According to the Galati County Council, partnerships will be concluded with prestigious universities from the country and abroad, as well as with high-tech companies.

The Galati Software Park project will include laboratories equipped with the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics and automation, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, virtual and augmented reality, nanotechnology and advanced materials, and cybersecurity.

(Photo: Sarinya Pinngam/ Dreamstime)

iulian@romania-insider.com