Crossing the road from the Bosch plant in Jucu, Cluj, a giant metal gate opens, and we are invited into a property that resembles a century-old stable we’ve seen before in the Netflix star show ‘The Crown’. 

We follow our host down the road, passing the horse tracks and stop before one of the old buildings that appear to be in the midst of reconstruction.

“Welcome to Wildhills, the place where work, life, and nature blend,” Vlad Buzoianu, CEO of Cluj Business Campus, greets us. 

Wildhills is the new campus developed by Felinvest, the company behind CBC, one of the major office projects in Cluj Napoca. 

“We took century-old stables situated on a beautiful farm near Cluj and we are turning them into the coolest business incubator facility East Europe has seen,” says Vlad.

Phase 1 of the project – delivered Q1 2023 - includes offices, a farm-to-table restaurant, indoor and outdoor events venues capable of fitting thousands, accommodation, sports facilities, co-working spaces, horse tracks, a farm, running and mountain bike trails, and a lake that will host the first wakeboarding park in Cluj.

“In 2018 when we started planning this project, we imagined the world of work would change. A pandemic later and people no longer think we went too far with an incubator in the middle of nature. If the workplace has become an experience rather than a routine, why not make it one that brings health, reduces stress, and makes us happier while bonding with our team, clients, investors, families, and nature at the same time,” adds Vlad.

This “country club for innovators” as Vlad calls it will be the home for Techville by CBC, a business incubator that plans to grow ideas into startups and people into entrepreneurs with the help of experienced tech founders involved in the making and running of Techville.

“We want to create a place that inspires the startup community and wider business community from Cluj to get together and share both resources and good times while creating meaningful projects,” Vlad says.

Given its closeness to the airport and unique facilities, the team behind Techville expect their incubator to be visited by startups from all over Europe in innovation camps and other partnerships they plan to have with renowned incubators from the continent. 

Asked about the 25-minute commute from the center of Cluj, Vlad admits Wildhills is an offsite location but sees this as a trend.

“It is impossible to create a back to nature project developed on 100 hectares of land in Cluj. Yes, the distance is a fact but here is our take on it:

Firstly, if a personal car is your preferred way of transport, you know that nowadays in Cluj you spend at least 25 minutes in traffic getting anywhere. Traveling to Wildhills, the journey is definitely worth it.

Secondly, the best transport to getting to the Wildhills is the 10 min train ride from Cluj Central station. 

And last, but not least, Techville will operate office space in both our campuses that will be connected into one membership. Our bet is that our business community will appreciate the freedom of choice between working in the heart of Cluj at CBC or working in the heart of nature at Wildhills.“

The team behind the two projects believes that building a community around real estate that integrates all aspects of life is the future of real estate, the future of work, and the future of life. CBC was the first real estate brand to do so in Romania and they believe that in Q1 2023 Wildhills will open a new chapter of work-life for the coming generations. 

(p) - This article is an advertorial.