FERM 2024 | Message from the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, Andrei ALEXANDRU

Panel “INVESTMENTS”

Module III – Mapping investment opportunities in Suceava County, 18th Edition of the Moldova Regional Economic Forum, Vatra Dornei, 2024

SPEAKER – Andrei ALEXANDRU, State Secretary at the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization

TOPIC: “Economic development through scientific research, innovation, and technological transfer”

Cohesion funds and PNRR

State Secretary at the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, Andrei Alexandru, began his presentation by addressing funding lines, mentioning the funds allocated through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and cohesion funds.

 “PNRR allocates nearly 200 million euros for attracting specialized human resources from abroad, and the budget for this investment was 168 million euros. 163 financing contracts have been signed, through which top researchers from abroad come and conduct research activities in Romania”, said Andrei Alexandru, State Secretary at the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization.

Competence centers and project co-financing

Another important aspect mentioned was investment in Competence Centers: “Competence Centers represent consortia operationalized in research fields associated with the 5 missions of the European Union, which are new ways to provide concrete solutions to some of the biggest challenges of today’s society, such as climate change adaptation, water health, soil health, smart and climate-neutral cities, with a budget of approximately 25 million euros”, explained the official.

Currently, there is a co-financing competition for projects in the electrical, network, and digital fields, won in European competitions, each project benefiting from 300,000 euros.

Cohesion funds and governance in smart specialization

Alexandru emphasized the importance of cohesion funds, mentioning that the Ministry of Research, together with regional development agencies, has completed a crucial favorable condition for governance in the field of smart specialization. “This favorable condition affects nearly 8 billion euros and is essential for the smart growth program, digitalization and financial instruments, regional programs, and the health program”.

Major programs and competent human resources

Within the two managed programs, the Ministry will fund initiatives such as an artificial intelligence club, major research infrastructure projects, and hydrogen energy generation projects. The health program will include genomics and cancer treatment with lasers.

The State Secretary also highlighted the competence of human resources in the Moldova region, emphasizing the important role of universities in Suceava and Iași. “We have highly competent people and sufficient research funds, and this trend will continue. I express my gratitude to all partners and institutions involved. With the available human and financial resources, we aim for these projects to add value to our economy and society.”