TEDIHT at the Heart of the Conversation during Clusters Meet Regions – Cluj-Napoca 2025
On July 1–2, 2025, the city of Cluj-Napoca hosted one of the most dynamic editions of the Clusters Meet Regions conference series, with more than 300 participants from 25 countries gathering to discuss the future of innovation, technology transfer, and interregional cooperation in Europe. Organized by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform on behalf of the European Commission, in collaboration with CLUSTERO, ADR Nord-Vest, and Smart Transylvania, the event placed Cluj-Napoca at the centre of Europe’s innovation dialogue.
TEDIHT: Connecting Policy, Practice, and Innovation
The European Digital Innovation Hub in Transilvania (TEDIHT) played a leading role at the event by curating and moderating the breakout session titled: “Digital Talk: Clusters Driving Innovation and Digital Transformation within EDIHs.”
Moderated by Bianca Muntean — TEDIHT coordinator, Transilvania IT Cluster manager, and initiator of Smart Transylvania — the panel brought together respected experts and practitioners from Latvia, Spain, Moldova, and Romania to exchange ideas, share lessons learned, and propose concrete mechanisms for cooperation between EDIHs and clusters.
Panel Line-Up
- Aiga Irmeja – Executive Director, Latvian IT Cluster
- Antonio Novo – President, European Clusters Alliance
- Cristina Baghiu – Coordinator, Digital Innovation Zone (Romania)
- Ion Bodrug – President, DIH Moldova
- Costin Lianu – President, Wallachia eHub
- Alexandru Roja – Expert, TEDIHT
From Fragmentation to Synergy: Key Discussion Themes
The discussion focused on the vital synergy between clusters and EDIHs, two ecosystem pillars with overlapping missions but distinct tools and capacities. While clusters are embedded in industrial and regional development frameworks, EDIHs are EU-backed instruments designed to facilitate digital transformation by offering test-before-invest services, digital skills training, and support for access to finance.
Some key ideas from the panel included:
- Clusters as trusted connectors: bridging academia, SMEs, public authorities, and research centres, and offering context-aware support rooted in the needs of specific territories.
- EDIHs as enablers of digital transformation: offering both infrastructure and knowledge, but requiring strong territorial anchoring through local partnerships — especially with clusters.
- The need for alignment and clarity: Many EDIHs across Europe face difficulties in translating EU-level missions into national or regional realities. Better strategic articulation is needed to avoid overlaps and fragmentation.
- Strategic matchmaking: Rather than treating EDIHs and clusters as parallel structures, the panel advocated for co-designing policy frameworks that formally recognize and fund their collaboration.
Expert Insight: Reflections and Conclusions by Alexandru Roja (TEDIHT)
At the close of the session, Alexandru Roja, expert in digital transformation and public policy at TEDIHT, delivered an insightful summary and set of reflections that point the way forward. His remarks, drawn from the discussion and enriched with strategic vision, highlighted the following key directions:
- Digital transformation requires systemic logic.
We need to stop addressing digitalization through isolated projects. Instead, we must build interconnected, responsive systems that take into account skills, organizational design, culture, regulatory frameworks, and industry-specific needs. - Innovation is not only about technology — it’s about people and processes.
Successful digital innovation comes from connecting people, aligning incentives, and bridging gaps between research and market needs. This is where clusters excel — and where EDIHs must also position themselves. - The dual role of EDIHs should be clarified.
EDIHs must balance their identity as public policy instruments (serving EU and national missions) with the need to function as accessible, user-oriented support structures for SMEs. Without clear mandates and sustained funding, many hubs will struggle to be effective in the long term. - Clusters must evolve.
The traditional role of clusters as facilitators of regional development must now be paired with a clear positioning in digital value chains. Clusters should act as trusted guides, helping SMEs access emerging initiatives such as AI Factories, and align with EU goals on Green and Digital transitions. - What Europe needs is a shared digital industrial strategy.
One that connects clusters, EDIHs, and other ecosystem players in a coordinated value chain approach. This strategy should leverage the smart specialization frameworks already in place and build bridges between regional capabilities and European ambitions. - Funding ecosystems, not just projects.
Public and private funding must move toward supporting ecosystems — networks of actors with shared goals, complementary capacities, and sustainable collaboration models.
Why This Matters Now
This TEDIHT-led session took place at a strategic moment for both the region and Europe. Transilvania IT Cluster has recently become an accredited Technology Information Centre by Romania’s Ministry of Education and Research — a recognition of its ecosystemic approach and commitment to bridging innovation and practice. At the same time, the session highlighted the European urgency for alignment, scaling, and smarter use of existing innovation infrastructure.
In the words of Bianca Muntean during the conference opening:
“Innovation must serve people. That means making it inclusive, practical, collaborative, and grounded in the real world.”
This principle was reflected throughout the panel discussion — and remains at the heart of TEDIHT’s mission.
Looking Ahead
The conversation started in Cluj-Napoca must now continue across Europe. As ecosystems mature and digital transformation deepens, the partnership between clusters and EDIHs will be one of the most important levers for creating smarter, greener, and more resilient regions.
TEDIHT remains committed to enabling this transformation — locally, nationally, and across borders.
Organized with the support of the European Commission, CLUSTERO, ADR Nord-Vest, and the Romanian Academy – Cluj-Napoca Branch, this edition of Clusters Meet Regions also benefited from UEFISCDI’s support through a project led by AgroTransilvania Cluster on behalf of the Smart Transylvania consortium.
