Oradea Study Visit: Romanian Solutions for Brain Drain

The two-day event brought together partners from across Europe to share experiences and explore good practices from North-West Romania, with a focus on strengthening talent retention and attraction through Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3).

Day 1: Exploring Regional Innovation Anchors

The first day of the visit kicked off with a warm welcome from representatives of the North-West Regional Development Agency, who provided an overview of the agency’s role and current efforts in supporting regional development through talent and innovation policies. Paul Hossu presented the regional "State of Art," setting the scene for the day's thematic discussions.

Participants were then introduced to several local good practices that exemplify how Oradea is investing in the development of a dynamic innovation ecosystem:

• Bihor Science & Technology Park, presented by General Manager Răzvan Pătcaș, is a cornerstone of the region’s innovation infrastructure, supporting research-driven entrepreneurship and offering facilities to tech start-ups and R&D projects.
• Make IT in Oradea, a public-private initiative led by David Achim, supports tech entrepreneurs through mentoring, funding, and acceleration programmes—transforming the city into a digital hub.
• Cresc Oradea Mare Business Incubator, presented by Roxana Marcu, focuses on nurturing early-stage companies by providing legal and business development support, fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Participants also had the opportunity to experience these initiatives first-hand through guided tours, followed by an engaging evening networking session and cultural tour of the historic Oradea Fortress.

Day 2: Tackling Brain Drain Through Housing and Amenities

The second day was centered around the thematic workshop "Countering Brain Drain – Housing and Amenities," facilitated by Agata Troost from the University of Groningen. The session addressed how regional policies can go beyond economic incentives and tackle the living conditions and services that influence individuals' decisions to stay in or leave a region.

This was followed by the presentation of two additional good practices:

• Dual Education Campus Oradea, introduced by Monica Runcanu, bridges the gap between vocational education and industry needs, ensuring that young talents are trained in line with labor market demands.
• FIX Cluj, part of the C-EDU Cluster and presented by Emanuel Negru, showcases how Cluj is transforming into a collaborative innovation space, blending education, technology, and creative industries to foster regional talent retention.

Looking Ahead: Building Resilient Talent Ecosystems

The study visit concluded with a summary of key insights and future action points. As highlighted during the two days, successful talent policies must be embedded in a broader regional strategy that includes education, business incubation, and quality of life improvements. The exchange in Oradea underlined the importance of interregional collaboration and the value of sharing tested models to combat demographic decline and talent loss.