Romania has achieved a landmark milestone in its digital transformation journey, being selected among the first six European Union countries to host cutting-edge AI Factory centers under the EuroHPC initiative. This historic recognition, announced on October 9, 2025, places the country in the same league as the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland, signifying Romania’s emergence as a vital player in the European artificial intelligence ecosystem. The move establishes Romania not only as a regional innovation hub but also as a strategic node for Europe’s next generation of AI research, supercomputing, and technological advancement.

Romania’s First National Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure

The newly established RO AI Factory marks Romania’s first comprehensive infrastructure dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence research and development. Spearheaded by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest) and the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, the project aims to create a robust ecosystem that fuses academic, industrial, and governmental expertise.

At its core, the initiative involves the acquisition and deployment of an advanced supercomputer specifically optimized for AI applications. Once operational, this infrastructure will offer universities, startups, and public institutions unparalleled access to high-performance computing power, large datasets, specialized software tools, and skill-development programs tailored to future industry demands.

“This strategic investment secures Romania’s position alongside Europe’s key players in artificial intelligence,” said Mihnea Costoiu, Rector of POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest. The project’s focus areas—manufacturing, cybersecurity, life sciences, digital public services, and autonomous systems—reflect Romania’s ambition to align its technological advancement with core priorities shaping Europe’s digital decade.

Strategic Vision and Political Coordination

Romania’s successful bid was not an overnight achievement. It stemmed from a coordinated national strategy led by Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament, who initiated a series of policy and planning meetings beginning in May 2025. Negrescu mobilized a diverse coalition of partners—POLITEHNICA Bucharest, ICI Bucharest, IMM Romania, Transilvania DIH, and UEFISCDI, supported by the Ministry of Economy—to present a unified national vision on AI development.

“Romania thus becomes an active member of the EuroHPC – AI Factories network, reinforcing its role in Europe’s ethical and competitive AI landscape,” Negrescu stated following the announcement. His leadership solidified Romania’s institutional readiness, ensuring alignment between digital policy, industrial needs, and EU regulations on data governance and ethical AI deployment.

The project’s framework brings together an influential consortium of academic, research, and industrial entities, including the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and the National Institute for Research and Development in Biological Sciences. Their collaboration will strengthen Romania’s ability to contribute meaningfully to Europe’s collective goal of technological sovereignty.

European Investment and Broader Implications

The AI Factory initiative forms part of a larger 500 million-euro joint investment between the European Union and its member states, designed to bolster Europe’s digital competitiveness. Through this expansion, 19 AI Factories across 16 EU countries will now provide startups, SMEs, and researchers direct access to AI-specific supercomputing resources, specialized support for project implementation, and opportunities for cross-border partnerships.

These facilities embody the EU’s strategy for fostering innovation-driven growth, reducing dependence on non-European technology providers, and building resilient AI ecosystems capable of driving both economic and strategic autonomy.

Adrian-Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI Bucharest, underscored the long-term significance of this initiative: “The RO AI Factory will serve as the cornerstone for future European projects in AI infrastructure, paving the way for new investments, collaborations, and international partnerships.”

Beyond its immediate technological benefits, the initiative symbolizes a deeper integration of Romania into Europe’s digital core, positioning the country as an incubator for advanced AI-driven industries that could redefine the regional economic landscape.