AHK Romania: Romania, Germany relations based increasingly more on IT, research-development, defence industry

Relations between Romania and Germany are no longer limited to cooperation in the field of industrial production, but are increasingly focused on IT, research and development and the defence industry, says the general director of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania), Sebastian Metz, during a meeting with the political and business environment in Bavaria.According to a press release of AHK Romania sent on Friday, a delegation consisting of approximately 20 representatives of the political and business environment in Bavaria, led by secretary of state Tobias Gotthardt from the Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, is paying a visit to Romania (Bucharest and Iasi) and the Republic of Moldova (Chisinau), between May 14 and 17.The purpose of the visit is to strengthen business contacts and explore partnership opportunities with relevant local entities, as well as a better understanding of the business environment in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The areas of interest are: artificial intelligence, machinery, digitalisation, start-ups and innovation."The relations between Bavaria and Romania are no longer limited to cooperation in the field of industrial production, but are increasingly focused on IT, research and development or energy. The defence industry also offers good opportunities for collaboration. We want to see as many partnerships as possible between Bavarian and Romanian companies, based on trust and with a long-term vision," Metz said, quoted in the press release.In his turn, secretary of state Tobias Gotthardt underscored that trade between Romania and Bavaria over the past 20 years is a success story, and the volume of trade has increased fivefold, reaching eight billion euros. The official noted the great interest of Bavarian companies in this mission to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, many of which accompany the delegation operating in areas such as: smart industry, smart solutions and environmental technologies.At the same time, the Romanian minister of energy, Sebastian Burduja, expressed his willingness to support the business environment and mentioned that the energy sector in Romania has undergone a real "revolution" in the past two years."We have attracted over 14 billion euros in the form of grants from the Modernisation Fund and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is a huge amount that covers network modernisation works, green energy production, energy storage, hydrogen production. "I know that this topic (hydrogen) is of interest to Bavaria," Burduja stressed.At the same time, the companies were invited by Stefan-Radu Oprea, head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, to develop business ties both in Romania and in Bavaria."Romania has potential in the field of cybersecurity and the IT sector. In addition, we will provide significant support for the defence industry. And if we intend to buy European products, why not choose German ones? Romanian entrepreneurs are looking for reliable partners and want to develop joint projects, including within the Romanian army's supply chain," Oprea said.The charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Romania, Christian Plate, argued that the strong economic ties between Germany and Romania are rooted in the common values shared by the two countries. He added that these successful relations are the result of Romania's European integration, highlighting the importance of the country continuing on its pro-European path."During the visit, the delegation met with several Romanian officials, including the minister of economy, Bogdan-Gruia Ivan, the minister of energy, Sebastian Burduja, and the mayor of Iasi, Mihai Chirica. Business meetings were also held with German and Romanian companies from Bucharest and Iasi," the press release states.AHK Romania is the official representation of the German economy, established in 2002, and which has over 670 member companies. Through the services it offers and the events it organizes, AHK Romania actively supports German companies in their entry into the Romanian market and is also a partner of Romanian companies interested in the German market.Since January 1, 2020, the Competence Centre for the Republic of Moldova has been operating within AHK Romania, with the aim of intensifying business relations between companies from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Germany.