The fifth edition of The Economist Romanian Business & Investment Roundtable bought a dynamic discussions on Romania’s evolving economic landscape. Amid intensifying global competition and emerging protectionist trends, speakers highlighted that globalization is not in decline but undergoing transformation. While great power rivalries reshape market conditions, Romania remains well-positioned to adapt and thrive by strengthening its integration within European and international frameworks. The conference provided valuable insights into navigating economic uncertainties, reinforcing the message that strategic cooperation and forward-thinking policies are essential for long-term success.

“There’s a misunderstanding regarding the competition between Europe and the US. What we should be focusing on is a partnership, not a race. We must acknowledge that the future of digital innovation depends on Europe making strategic choices. It’s about aligning investments, simplifying regulations, ensuring security, and scaling our innovations. If we do this, we can compete with and surpass others—ensuring a prosperous digital future for Europe”, said Joakim Reiter, Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer Vodafone Group in a discussion on how to address gaps in telecommunications coverage to promote digital innovation and build competitive digital infrastructure.

Public and private sector leaders discussed Southeast Europe's economic resilience, inflation risks, sustainable finance, and the future of the Single Market. Omer Tetik, CEO Banca Transilvania, mentioned that “Romania—not only Romania, actually the whole region—has shown incredible resilience in the last five years. We have seen pandemics, we have seen war, inflation, volatility, energy crises—everything which could have been written in an economics book, we have seen in a very short period of time. Citizenship Through Investments was mentioned today - I guess this is indeed the moment when Europe can show that Southern Eastern members of the European Union are really European citizens. Indeed, when we look at the problems Europe is facing—from food security, energy security, demographics—Romania itself can be a solution to most of these problems, while also creating its own solutions.”

“I believe the key to resilience is how you integrate your response function—how you adapt to changes coming from the world, which is evolving faster than ever. The key to competitiveness is making bureaucracy smart and flexible enough to respond to change as it arrives because you cannot foresee everything”, added Ionuț Lianu CFΑ, chief treasury & ALM officer, CEC Bank.

“We need to improve competitiveness to avoid the middle-income trap. We still have an advantage in terms of labor costs, but this advantage is diminishing. Meanwhile, we are not yet as competitive as the most advanced economies”, conceded Mihail Ion Vice-president capital markets, investment banking and personal financial planning, Raiffeisen Bank Romania during the panel focusing on the financial and economic landscape in south-east Europe.

“There is capital in Romania, both from pension funds, insurers, and a lot of other sources, but the way policy drives this kind of financing into private equity investments can ensure a competitive advantage for Romania”, concluded Paul-Dieter Cîrlănaru, Chief executive, CITR.

A crucial topic in Romania’s green future and economic growth remains the transition to sustainability, as well as the role of sustainable finance in driving these changes, and the importance of collaboration between state and private actors to drive these changes.

“In Europe, we are the second largest deposit return scheme after Germany. Even though we have only been live for a little over a year, we have already achieved fantastic results - we have collected more than three billion containers from the market and have already sold 230,000 tons of material to recyclers”, pointed out Gemma Webb, Chief executive and president, RetuRO SGR.

While discussing how to enhance Europe's economic resilience through improved connectivity and strategic infrastructure investments, Bogdan Mărginean, Technical subdivision manager, civil engineering, STRABAG Romania highlighted that “We need to keep in mind that construction is a very conservative business, heavily regulated and I think that now is the time to talk about a robust partnership between private actors and the state in order to ensure economic growth, stability and a greener future. Innovation is the baseline on which we are building now.”

“The key challenge is adapting the network to accommodate new prosumers and optimize energy use. In Romania no one counters the fact that we need highways. But when we speak about energy infrastructure there is an ongoing discussion about costs and accountability. We need authorities’ support in policy design to adapt networks effectively”, said Alessio Menegazzo, Chief executive & country manager, PPC Romania in a panel on Europe's energy security strategy, focusing on regional cooperation, the green transition, and balancing sustainability with affordability.

“Interconnectivity and regional cooperation must be strengthened. Strong cross-border infrastructure is a must if we’re to carry electrons into a unified market. More importantly, strategic energy partnerships should be reinforced. I’m very grateful for the fact that we’re seeing governments in Southeastern Europe working closely with EU institutions, partners abroad, and looking at larger formats such as the Three Seas’s initiative that can help broaden these dialogues. A diversified energy mix, in my view, is key”, added Cosmin Ghita, Chief executive, Nuclearelectrica.

The Fifth Annual The Economist Romanian Business & Investment Roundtable highlighted the critical importance of increasing Romania's competitiveness to ensure a sustainable and future-ready economy. What all decision makers present at the event seemed to agree upon was the fact that the key to overcoming critical challenges such as economic growth, labor shortages, and investment diversification lies in the collaborative efforts between the private and public sectors.

Economist Impact events bring together participants from around the world and renowned thought leaders for structured discussions on topics such as sustainability, trade, the future of technology, and work. These events provide corporations, foundations, NGOs, and governments with a platform to communicate important messages to a targeted and engaged audience, facilitating connections and interactions with business leaders from around the globe. The event was organised by Oxygen.

*This is Partner Content.