Romania can be
the Smart City hub
of the region.
Central and Eastern Europe has 130 million inhabitants, 12 EU member states and hundreds of cities going through digital transformation. Romania is the only country in the region that combines, at the same time, demographic scale (19 million inhabitants), international technical expertise, a structured university presence and an active domestic Smart City market. ARSC works as a neutral platform that brings this opportunity together, through European partners, regional programmes and institutional dialogue.
Why the CEE region
needs a hub.
Central and Eastern Europe remains under-represented in EU decisions on Smart City. The European programmes Horizon, EIT, OASC and Living-in.eu are dominated by Western European cities. Solutions developed there do not replicate automatically in CEE: budgets, infrastructure, administrative capacity and the legal framework all differ. We need a regional platform that adapts, negotiates and lobbies.
Under-represented in decisions
Of the top 100 cities in the IMD Smart City Index, only 7 are from CEE: Tallinn, Prague, Warsaw, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Vilnius, Bratislava. Romanian cities are missing from the ranking for lack of comparable data, not for lack of projects. A regional platform changes this imbalance.
Unbalanced budgets and funding
Horizon Europe Cluster 5 calls are won disproportionately by Western European consortia. In the 2021-2027 period, the CEE region attracts under 25% of EU Smart City funds, although it is home to almost 30% of the Union's population. Regional coordination makes competitive CEE consortia possible.
Solutions that do not replicate automatically
The "Western smart city" model, with an urban budget of €5,000-10,000 per inhabitant, mature administrative capacity and an established ESCO framework, does not apply as such in CEE. We need methodological adaptations, specific funding models and aligned legal frameworks.
Geopolitics and convergence
The EU's eastern border needs resilient, connected and sustainable cities. EU cohesion policy for 2021-2027 gives priority to the regional digital transition. A CEE Smart City hub is an instrument of economic convergence and of European security.
Romania's scale
in the regional context.
Romania is the 6th EU state by population and the 9th by area. In the CEE region it is the second largest state, after Poland. The combination of scale, digital connectivity and local expertise provides the critical mass a regional hub needs.
Romania combines scale (the second largest CEE state, after Poland), technical expertise (EU top 6 for IT specialists and for fibre) and an active domestic Smart City market (1,720 documented projects). No other country in the region brings all these attributes together.
Technical and
institutional expertise.
A hub is not built on ambition but on verifiable expertise. Romania has a solid base in four areas: digital technologies, academic research, institutional capacity and specialist corporate partnerships.
Digital technologies
Romania is one of the main suppliers of software and IT services in the EU. Multinational companies (UiPath, Bitdefender, Endava, Softvision, Stefanini), together with IT start-up ecosystems (Cluj IT Cluster, Transilvania IT, Iași IT Cluster, Brașov IT), build solutions that serve both the domestic and the regional market.
- 200,000+ active IT specialists
- 30+ software companies with revenue above €50 million/year
- Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Timișoara, Bucharest, Brașov: regional IT hubs
- Strong specialisation in AI, cybersecurity, RPA and fintech
Academic research
Romanian universities are developing specific Smart City and digital urbanism programmes. Politehnica University of Bucharest (UPB), UTCN Cluj-Napoca, Politehnica University of Timișoara, UAUIM, SNSPA, ASE and "Ovidius" University of Constanța have laboratories, master's programmes and research projects in the field.
- 15+ university centres with Smart City research
- Dedicated master's programmes (UAUIM, UPB, SNSPA)
- Participation in Horizon Europe Cluster 5 consortia
- Applied research in pilot cities (Cluj, Timișoara, Iași)
Institutional capacity
The institutional framework has grown significantly stronger over the last 8 years. There are dedicated structures at central level, EU funds channelled through national programmes, and city halls with experienced teams.
- MCID (Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation)
- MIPE: coordination of the PNRR and of 2021-2027 EU funds
- MDLPA: local public policy
- Romanian Digitalisation Authority (ADR)
- 200+ local administrations with experience in digital projects
Corporate partnerships
International companies have invested steadily in Smart City pilot projects and programmes in Romania. The Alba Iulia Smart City 2018 model (Orange) was later replicated and adapted. Utility, transport, telecoms and energy companies have integrated digital solutions at scale.
- Orange, Vodafone, Digi (telecoms + IoT)
- Siemens, Schneider, Honeywell (smart infrastructure)
- Continental, NTT Data, Atos (integrated systems)
- Stup de Energie, ENGIE, OMV Petrom (energy and mobility)
How ARSC does it,
in practice.
ARSC is not a think tank. It is an operational platform building the hub along four parallel lines: a common agenda, public tools, European partnerships and institutional dialogue. All of it documented transparently.
A common regional agenda through the National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities
A selective circle of Romanian mayors, county council presidents and public administrators: the hub for setting out Romania's position in dialogue with city halls across the region (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, the Baltic states). Launched in 2026.
More about the National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities →Public tools that can be reused across the region
The Smart City Map of Romania (1,720 projects), the Energy Projects Map (ANRE network) and the Smart City Index (42 municipalities), all under an open licence. The ARSC methodology can be taken up by sister organisations in the region. Active discussions with the Slovak Smart Cities Cluster, the Czech Smart City Cluster and the Lithuanian Smart City Network.
See the national maps →Strategic European partnerships
ARSC is the National Contact Point of the Smart Communities Network (European Commission), an official OASC partner, an EIT Urban Mobility partner and a member of the Living-in.eu network. These positions make it possible to bring the CEE perspective into European decisions and to pass relevant programmes on to Romania.
All European partnerships →Events with regional participation
Smart City Industry Awards (10 editions, 4 March 2026 at ROMEXPO), with guests from Poland, Slovenia and Bulgaria. Congresul Primarilor (the Mayors' Congress), with CEE segments. The Smart City Caravan extended to partner cities in the region. ROPAT: a CEE technical forum for public parks and spatial planning.
Events calendar →Structured institutional dialogue
ARSC has a permanent place in consultations on digital, energy and urban planning legislation. Round tables with MCID, MIPE, MDLPA and ADR. Official public positions on the AI Act, Digital Decade 2030, the Smart Villages Action Plan and the 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy.
ARSC public positions →Co-creation with universities
ARSC works with UAUIM, SNSPA, UPB, UTCN and Politehnica University of Timișoara on applied Smart City research. Master's programmes, symposia, scientific publications. The Centre for Urban Research and Education is the central node of this collaboration.
Centre for Urban Research →Regional and
European partners.
A hub does not build itself. Here is the network of European organisations in which ARSC holds formal positions, each with a specific role in shaping the CEE agenda.
Smart Communities Network
The European Commission's official point for smart communities. ARSC is the National Contact Point for Romania, the direct link between the Romanian ecosystem and European Smart City policy.
OASC
Open & Agile Smart Cities
The European network developing open and interoperable specifications for Smart City. ARSC is the national node and takes an active part in the annual General Assembly.
EIT Urban Mobility
The European innovation community for urban mobility (Knowledge & Innovation Community). ARSC is an official partner, with access to the annual funding calls and to Western European consortia.
Living-in.eu
The European movement for sustainable digital urban transformation. Signatories: 130+ cities, 30+ regions, 30+ associations. ARSC takes part in the working groups on interoperability, AI and data.
Smart Cities Marketplace
The official EU platform connecting cities with funding, solutions and technology partners. ARSC is the entry point for Romanian city halls and organisations to European calls.
CEE regional cluster
in formation · 2026-2027
Active discussions with the Slovak Smart Cities Cluster, the Czech Smart City Cluster, the Lithuanian Smart City Network and the Polish Smart Cities Forum. Goal: a common CEE platform for setting out positions in EU decisions.
The programmes that
build the hub.
The hub is not an abstract ambition. It is built through concrete programmes that create critical mass over 5-10 years. These are ARSC's six programme lines for 2026-2030.
National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities
Launched in 2026. A selective circle for positioning at home; over 2026-2027 it expands to partner city halls from Poland, Czechia, Bulgaria and Slovenia.
Regional Smart City Index
Extending the index.arsc.ro methodology to municipalities in 5-7 CEE countries: the first comparable regional ranking, built on standardised indicators.
SCIA Regional Forum
Extending SCIA with a regional CEE edition: guests from 12 states and city halls presenting projects adapted to the region's budget realities.
CEE Horizon Europe consortia
Coordinating the formation of CEE consortia for Cluster 5 calls. Target: more than 5 winning projects, with at least 3 CEE countries per consortium.
Regional Smart City Map
Extending the map.arsc.ro methodology to a regional CEE database of Smart City projects: the first comparable mapping tool in the region.
EU Mission CEE Pilot Cities
ARSC coordination for the integrated participation of CEE cities in "100 Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030". At present Cluj, Bucharest and Suceava are the only Romanian cities taking part.
The 2026-2030 agenda.
The next five years are the critical window. The 2021-2027 European programmes close in 2027, and the next round (2028-2034) is being negotiated now. In this window Romania can be either a structured regional player or a scattered participant. ARSC is betting on the first.
National consolidation and first regional steps
Launch of the National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities. Smart City Index: the 2026 edition with 42 Romanian municipalities. SCIA 10. Formal discussions with the Smart City clusters in Poland, Czechia and Slovakia.
The first regional ranking + SCIA CEE Forum
Launch of the regional Smart City Index covering 5-7 CEE countries. SCIA Regional Forum. Coordination of Horizon Europe consortia for Cluster 5 calls.
Regional Smart City Map and a common agenda
Launch of the Regional CEE Smart City Map. A common strategy document, signed by the region's Smart City clusters, to set out a shared position in the 2028-2034 EU negotiations.
An institutionalised hub
A formal agreement for the regional hub, with ARSC as the operational platform of a CEE European network recognised by the Commission. A representation office in Brussels.
EU Mission CEE
Integrated CEE coordination in the "100 Climate-Neutral Cities" programme. Target: more than 10 CEE cities in the EU programme, 4-5 of them from Romania.
Build the hub with us.
For companies, city halls, universities and institutions that want to be part of building the regional Smart City hub: book a meeting with the ARSC team. We will discuss the right role for each player.