On November 27, 2025, G&E Sales participated in the German-Romanian-Moldovan Business Conference in Stuttgart, Germany—a landmark event that brought together government officials, industry leaders, and business representatives to discuss concrete opportunities for cross-border collaboration. Organized by AHK Romania, this trilateral conference showcased how strategic partnerships between Germany, Romania, and Moldova can strengthen European economic security and create real business opportunities.
Understanding the Trilateral Partnership: Why This Matters
The conference represented a strategic priority for European economic development at a critical time.
The Strategic Context:
Romania is rapidly emerging as a premier destination for industrial and logistics investments, poised to become a major European hub within the next decade, driven by strategic reconfigurations in the European economic landscape and a strong nearshoring trend. Meanwhile, Germany will provide Moldova with an additional 24.4 million euros in grant, in order to support the process of joining the EU and modernizing the country.
For G&E Sales and our Construct Green initiative, this conference provided invaluable insights into how these three countries are working together to build sustainable, resilient supply chains and create opportunities for businesses focused on innovation, sustainability, and long-term growth.
Opening Remarks: Setting the Strategic Vision
The conference opened with powerful statements from three key leaders, each bringing their unique perspective on what this partnership means.
Winfried Kretschmann - Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg
Kretschmann highlighted Baden-Württemberg's strengths in automotive and machinery manufacturing while emphasizing his government's commitment to deepening ties with Romania and Moldova. Baden-Württemberg, as one of Germany's most economically powerful states, sees both countries as strategic partners for maintaining competitiveness and securing supply chains.
Oana-Clara Gheorghiu - Vice Prime Minister of Romania
Vice Prime Minister Gheorghiu presented Romania's economic outlook and investment climate, positioning Romania as a key EU manufacturing and innovation hub. In 2025, 44% of surveyed executives plan to expand or establish operations in Romania — stable compared to 2023, and manufacturing ranks third at 43%, suggesting confidence in Romania's industrial capabilities.
Dr. Eugeniu Osmochescu - Vice Prime Minister of Moldova
Dr. Osmochescu outlined Moldova's transformation, EU integration progress, and opportunities for investors in an emerging, rapidly modernizing market. His presentation showed that Moldova isn't just a beneficiary of aid—it's an active participant in European economic development with concrete opportunities for businesses.
Keynote Speakers: The Business Case for Collaboration
After the government officials set the stage, business leaders and association representatives explained why this trilateral partnership makes practical sense.
Volker Raffel (AHK Romania President), Philipp Haußmann (German Eastern Business Association), and Stefan Rouenhoff (Parliamentary State Secretary) opened by emphasizing this trilateral partnership as a strategic priority for European economic security. In times of global supply chain disruption and geopolitical uncertainty, having reliable, nearby partners becomes essential—not optional.
Industry Panel: Nearshoring in Action
The industry panel was particularly insightful for understanding real-world opportunities. Moderated by Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Dr. Radu Miruță, and Dr. Eugeniu Osmochescu, the discussion focused on nearshoring strategies and government support programs.
Real Success Stories from Major Companies
Three industry giants shared their actual experiences operating in Romania, providing honest assessments of what works:
Stefan Brandl (DRÄXLMAIER Group) discussed workforce quality in Romania. DRÄXLMAIER, a major automotive supplier, has significant operations in Romania and spoke about the skilled labor force, particularly in engineering and manufacturing roles.
Harald Klaiber (ebm-papst) shared ROI outcomes from their Romanian operations. ebm-papst, a leader in fan and motor technology, has found Romania to be a profitable location for both production and innovation.
Dr. Uwe Knotzer (Knauf) explained supply chain integration success stories. Knauf, the global building materials company, has successfully integrated Romanian operations into their European supply chain, demonstrating how nearshoring creates efficiency gains.
The Nearshoring Opportunity
Why is nearshoring to Romania becoming so attractive? The numbers tell the story:
Romania has seen a steady increase in foreign direct investment flows in a variety of projects, including both manufacturing and logistics, with the second lowest labour cost in the EU area. Additionally, Romania's industrial and logistics market projections indicate transactional volumes could hit approximately 417,000 square meters by mid-year 2025, a significant 22% increase over 2024.
For companies like G&E Sales working in sustainable construction and renewable energy, Romania's nearshoring boom creates opportunities as companies need modern facilities, energy-efficient buildings, and sustainable infrastructure.
Energy Security: Critical for Manufacturing Stability
One of the most important panels focused on energy security—an issue that directly impacts manufacturing operations and business planning.
The panel brought together key figures:
- Dr. Andre Baumann (Baden-Württemberg Energy Ministry)
- Dorin Junghietu (Moldova Energy Minister)
- Volker Raffel (E.ON)
- Dr. Petru Rușeț (Siemens Energy)
- Dan Drăgan (ROMGAZ)
- Răzvan Copoiu (ENEVO Group)
They discussed energy independence strategies, renewable energy projects, grid modernization, and Black Sea gas developments—all critical for manufacturing stability.
Why Energy Security Matters for Business
Manufacturing requires reliable, affordable energy. Companies considering expansion to Romania or Moldova need to understand the energy landscape. The good news is that both countries are investing heavily in renewable energy and energy independence.
Moldova's macroeconomic situation has stabilised in recent times, although the energy crisis has been acute since the end of the transit agreement for Russian gas on 1 January 2025, and the European Commission approved a comprehensive aid package to mitigate the impact on the energy situation throughout Moldova.
For green construction companies, the focus on renewable energy projects and grid modernization represents direct business opportunities. Both Romania and Moldova need sustainable energy solutions, and German expertise in this area is highly valued.
Innovation & Technology: From Production Sites to Innovation Hubs
Romania and Moldova aren't just low-cost production locations—they're becoming genuine innovation centers.
The panel featured:
- Dr. Dragoș Pîslaru (Romanian Minister) - presented EU-funded R&D programs and innovation incentives
- Dr. Dan Lăzărescu (Bosch)
- Thomas Kunert (SAP)
- Octavian Ichim (Schwarz IT KG/Lidl in Deutschland)
- Bogdan Păduraru (AROBS Group)
- Gheorghe Ghirjev (BSW TECH)
Together they showcased how Romania and Moldova evolved from production sites to innovation hubs with world-class engineering and IT talent.
The Tech Talent Advantage
Romania's ICT sector is projected to hit $1.3 billion in 2025, on track to contribute 10% of the national GDP within five years, driven by growth in AI, Fintech, and IoT, with a skilled 250,000 talent pool and CEE's highest English proficiency.
This matters for all businesses, not just tech companies. When you establish operations in Romania or Moldova, you gain access to highly educated, technically skilled professionals who can drive innovation across industries—from sustainable construction to renewable energy to advanced manufacturing.
Defence & Security: Reshaping Supply Chains
The final panel addressed something many business conferences avoid: defence and security considerations. But in today's geopolitical reality, these factors directly impact supply chain decisions.
The panel included:
- Mihai Jurca (Romanian PM's Chancellery)
- Sergiu Plop (Moldova Defence)
- Markus Staudt (Quantum Systems)
- Maurice Lewalter (Airbus Defence and Space)
- Stefan Kägebein (DIHK)
They discussed how security considerations reshape supply chains and create defence industry opportunities. South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace plans to establish an armored vehicle factory in Romania, positioning the country as a regional defense manufacturing hub.
For businesses, this means understanding that proximity, reliability, and security of supply chains matter more than ever. Romania and Moldova, as EU and aspiring EU members respectively, offer stable, secure locations for critical operations.
Key Takeaways for G&E Sales
Walking away from this conference, several clear opportunities emerged for our business:
Nearshoring Creates Infrastructure Demand: As more companies relocate or establish operations in Romania and Moldova, they need modern, energy-efficient facilities. Sustainable building solutions are therefore in high need.
Renewable Energy is a Priority: Both countries are heavily investing in renewable energy. The panels made it clear that energy security and sustainability aren't just nice-to-haves—they're strategic priorities that require real investment and expertise.
Training and Capacity Building: While both countries have skilled workforces, companies expanding there need training programs to transfer specific skills and knowledge. G&E Sales' experience in engineering training programs could be valuable here.
Long-term Partnership Approach: The conference emphasized long-term relationships, not quick transactions. This aligns perfectly with G&E Sales' approach to building lasting partnerships rather than pursuing one-off deals.
Government Support is Real: Multiple speakers highlighted available funding programs, tax incentives, and institutional support. Companies entering these markets have access to significant resources if they know how to navigate them.
The Romania-Moldova Growth Story
The conference painted a compelling picture of two countries on very different stages of their development journey, yet both offering real opportunities:
Romania: The Established Hub
Romania accounts for approximately 11% of the modern leasable industrial stock in the CEE-6 region with a total stock of 7.5 million square metres of modern industrial and logistics space at the end of 2024 and over 370,000 square metres under construction.
Romania has moved beyond being just a low-cost location. It's now a genuine manufacturing and innovation hub with modern infrastructure, skilled workforce, and integration into European supply chains.
Moldova: The Emerging Opportunity
Moldova is earlier in its development but moving fast. The forum served as a catalyst for new partnerships, being an important step for strengthening Moldovan-German economic relations and accelerating the sustainable transformation of national agriculture, with Germany currently ranking 6th among Moldova's commercial partners.
For businesses willing to take a longer-term view, Moldova offers first-mover advantages in an emerging market with strong government support and EU integration momentum.
Germany's Strategic Interest
Why is Germany, and specifically Baden-Württemberg, so invested in strengthening ties with Romania and Moldova? The conference made this clear:
Supply Chain Security: Recent disruptions have shown the vulnerability of distant, complex supply chains. Having reliable partners nearby reduces risk.
Economic Integration: Stronger economic ties with Romania and Moldova create stability and prosperity across the region, which benefits everyone.
Market Access: For German companies, Romania and Moldova aren't just production locations—they're also growing consumer markets.
Strategic Partnership: In an uncertain geopolitical environment, having strong, stable partners who share European values matters enormously.
Networking and Building Connections
Beyond the formal presentations, the conference provided valuable networking time. We connected with:
- Romanian and Moldovan government representatives
- German companies already operating in both markets who shared practical insights
- Industry associations that could facilitate market entry
- Potential partners for future collaborations
These informal conversations often revealed the most practical information—the real challenges companies face, the unexpected opportunities they've discovered, and the partnerships that have worked (or haven't).
Looking Ahead: Opportunities for G&E Sales
This conference confirmed that Romania and Moldova should be even more on G&E Sales' strategic radar. The combination of manufacturing growth, renewable energy investment, infrastructure development, and government support creates a favorable environment for companies with sustainable solutions which we can help expand.
Final Thoughts
The German-Romanian-Moldovan Business Conference in Stuttgart was exactly the kind of event that provides real value: high-level strategic vision combined with practical business insights, government officials alongside industry leaders, and formal presentations balanced with networking opportunities.
For G&E Sales, the conference delivered clear takeaways: there are real opportunities in Romania and Moldova for companies offering sustainable construction and renewable energy solutions. The timing is right, the support infrastructure exists, and the market demand is growing.
Big thanks to AHK Romania for organizing such a professional and impactful event, and to all the speakers who shared their knowledge and experience. These trilateral partnerships between Germany, Romania, and Moldova represent not just business opportunities but a strategic approach to building a stronger, more resilient European economy.
We're looking forward to the next steps—whether that's attending follow-up events, developing partnerships, or exploring specific projects. The foundation has been laid, and now it's time to build on it.
Interested in learning more about business opportunities in Romania or Moldova? Want to discuss how G&E Sales can support your expansion into these markets? Contact us—we're ready to help your business succeed in these dynamic markets.
Rom. Mold Business Conf