ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): Ambassador of Romania to Pakistan Dan Stoenescu has reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Pakistan in science, technology, education, and innovation, recognising Pakistan’s progress in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and regional inclusion in a meeting with Pakistani Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Khalid Hussain Magsi.
As an important member of the European Union, Romania offers Pakistani partners access to flagship EU-funded initiatives such as Horizon Europe (€95.5 billion for research and innovation, 2021–2027), Erasmus+ (education, training, and academic exchange), and the Digital Europe Programme. These platforms open opportunities for joint projects in AI, renewable energy, cybersecurity, green technologies, agriculture, and space applications.
Romania is one of Europe’s fastest-growing IT and innovation hubs, contributing over 6% to GDP and employing more than 200,000 professionals. The country is recognised for its highly skilled software engineers, competitive costs, and expertise in cybersecurity, fintech, AI, cloud solutions, blockchain, and automotive software. Global tech leaders such as Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, and Oracle operate R&D and service centres in Romania, alongside thriving local companies exporting worldwide.
Romania has produced globally recognised unicorns (startups valued over USD 1 billion), including UiPath (robotic process automation), Bitdefender (cybersecurity), Elrond (blockchain), and FintechOS (financial technology). Its dynamic tech hubs in Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Brașov, and Bucharest combine strong academic institutions with vibrant startup ecosystems and innovation parks.
Potential cooperation opportunities between Romania and Pakistan span a wide range of high-impact areas. These include establishing joint ventures in software development targeting both EU and Gulf markets, fostering cybersecurity collaboration through specialised training, certification, and digital forensics, and launching exchange programs between Romania’s dynamic tech hubs and Pakistan’s National Incubation Centers to stimulate start-up growth. Both countries can also engage in joint research projects in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain technologies under EU frameworks such as Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, while advancing partnerships in e-government solutions and the digital transformation of public services to improve efficiency, transparency, and citizen engagement.
To advance this agenda, ambassador Stoenescu explored the potential signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Romania’s National Authority for Digitalization and National Authority for Research, as well as organising a Romania–Pakistan Science & Technology Forum with a strong focus on the IT industry.
“Romania stands ready for practical, results-oriented cooperation that supports Pakistan’s national priorities while strengthening our bilateral partnership,” Ambassador Dan Stoenescu stated, extending an invitation for the Honourable Minister to visit Romania’s leading research institutes, universities, and tech parks.
