Her Excellency Ms. Aune Kotli, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to Romania, accompanied by Ms. Kersti Kirs, Consul General, paid an official visit to Cluj-Napoca this week. The delegation was hosted by the Honorary Consul of Estonia in Cluj-Napoca, Ms. Bianca Muntean, co-founder and manager of Transilvania IT Cluster and coordinator of The European Digital Innovation Hub in Transilvania.

The visit included meetings with local authorities, representatives of the academic environment, and members of the business community, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations in the fields of education, innovation, and economic cooperation.

The delegation began with a meeting at the Cluj County Council, where discussions took place with Vice President Radu Rațiu. The conversation focused on opportunities for collaboration between Cluj and Estonia in the areas of digitalization and efficient public administration.

“We are certainly more than interested in learning as much as possible from Estonia’s positive experience, a global model of digitalization, especially as we aim for the Cluj County Council to become the first fully digitalized public institution in Romania this year,” the Vice President of the Cluj County Council stated in a subsequent communication.

Throughout the day, the delegation also met with representatives of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and Babeș-Bolyai University. Topics discussed included academic exchanges, research collaborations, and the development of joint projects in IT and digital education.

The Estonian Ambassador also met with the Prefect of Cluj County, Ms. Maria Forna, and the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Mr. Emil Boc. These meetings focused on best practices in local governance and ways to strengthen economic and cultural ties between Estonia and Cluj-Napoca.

“We had several meetings during this delegation, and one of the most important things I take away is that I met extremely motivated people who want to digitalize Cluj. I am very happy that we have a leader like Bianca Muntean here in Cluj, and we are very open to sharing with you both the success stories and the mistakes we made as a country on our digitalization journey. I encourage you to cooperate, because teamwork is the foundation of everything you do,” said Her Excellency Ms. Aune Kotli, Ambassador of Estonia.

“We discussed Estonia’s digital ecosystem in the business sector and potential partnerships between Estonian and Cluj-based companies. In support of entrepreneurship and the private sector, we also discussed the E-residency program, which allows non-residents to access a country’s online services. We also explored cultural cooperation, particularly in music and film, including the possibility of presenting Estonia at the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) and organizing a performance in Cluj-Napoca by composer Arvo Pärt, who celebrates his 90th anniversary this year,” said the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Mr. Emil Boc, following the visit.

On Thursday evening, March 27, a networking event organized by Transilvania IT Cluster and ABC Incubator brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives of the Cluj IT sector. Organized under the umbrella of The European Digital Innovation Hub in Transilvania, the event focused on Estonia and the opportunities it offers for entrepreneurs. Among the participants were beneficiaries of the TEDIHT project (RehabX VR, KeyTek), representatives of Estonia’s only European Digital Innovation Hub, EDIH AIRE, Răzvan Șuta from Startup Wise Guys, as well as companies that are members of Transilvania IT Cluster.

“Estonia is a remarkable example of digitalization and innovation, a success model that inspires us and from which we have much to learn. This visit gave us the opportunity to better understand how a strong political commitment, combined with a clear and coherent digitalization strategy, can transform not only public administration but the entire economy and society. Cluj-Napoca has the ambition to become a leading technology hub in Central and Eastern Europe, and the lessons learned from Estonia’s experience help us accelerate innovation processes and implement effective digital solutions,” said the Honorary Consul of Estonia, Ms. Bianca Muntean.

The visit, which concluded on Friday, March 28, reflects the mutual interest of Estonia and Romania in strengthening cooperation in key areas such as digitalization, education, and innovation. The discussions opened new perspectives for future collaborations.

An official delegation composed of representatives of municipal authorities, academic institutions, and other key actors from the Cluj ecosystem is expected to visit the e-Estonia Showroom, to observe how advanced digital solutions are implemented in public administration and education.