The Western Romanian city of Timisoara hosts a high-tech tree where people can charge their mobile devices for free and have free access to free wireless Internet. This is a first in Romania, while similar solar stations have been installed in Serbia and Bosnia.

The tree, also called the Strawberry Tree, is made of solar panels that transform solar energy into electricity. Located in the Children's Park (Parcul Copiilor), it has 16 types of chargers for mobile phones.

The idea, patented by Milos Milisavljevi, a student  from Serbia and awarded by the European Commission in 2011, was brought to Romanian by Bogdan Bontila, a young Romanian passionate about technology.

Such a tree costs some EUR 20,000. The Timisoara local budget financed the one in Timisoara.

There are currently 12 such Strawberry trees in Bosnia and Serbia. Strawberry Energy, the company founded by the tree's creator Milisavljevi, holds the patent for such products. Its future products also include a Strawberry Mini tree and a Strawberry Mini rural, for countryside use.

Irina Popescu@romania-insider.com