Powering Startups: Collaboration in NW Romania's Ecosystem

The first Romanian regional stakeholder meeting of the year was organized in Cluj-Napoca on March 24th, when the North-West Regional Development Agency hosted the MANIFESTO Cluj meeting, a local initiative aimed to enhance support for startups and accelerated innovation. The event brought together representatives from business accelerators, incubators, universities, clusters and investors, to share future plans, create synergies and build the future of the regional startup ecosystem.

From dedicated funding programs and mentorship opportunities to idea generation, incubation, acceleration, internationalization initiatives, and the creation of new entrepreneurial support centers—all these efforts contribute to building a competitive ecosystem and fostering startups with unicorn potential.

The meeting emphasized the importance of strategic collaboration among stakeholders to ensure long-term support for startups. Key discussions focused on:

• Strengthening cooperation between accelerators, incubators, and financial instruments to provide startups with better access to funding and mentorship.
• Expanding educational and guidance programs to support young entrepreneurs, prior to university enrollment.
• Encouraging internationalization by connecting local startups to global markets through partnerships with European and international ecosystems.
• Addressing ecosystem fragmentation by promoting strategic collaborations and consolidating resources.
• Providing best practices shared from UNICORN QUEST partner regions, to inspire and identify potential collaborations across regional ecosystems
• Analyzing funding opportunities to promote intra- and inter-regional collaboration and better support the growth of startups.
• Policy recommendations anchored in the recent EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy consultation process

Cluj-Napoca, and recently Oradea, are recognized as dynamic hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship, with strong support from universities, technology clusters, and public-private initiatives. However, challenges remain, including fragmentation within the ecosystem and the need for better alignment of resources and initiatives.

UNICORN QUEST project seeks to address these gaps by promoting cross-sector collaboration and ensuring that regional policies reflect the needs of startups. The North-West RDA, being also the Managing Authority for the ERDF Regional Programme, plays a crucial role in coordinating these efforts, integrating lessons learned from successful European ecosystems.

By fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, North-West Region of Romania can be regarded as a leading startup hub in Eastern Europe, with the ambition to develop high-impact businesses that can scale internationally. The synergies between various initiatives and access to diverse resources are crucial in transforming promising ideas into successful businesses.