For three days, between October 7 and 9, Brașov, Sibiu, and Târgu Mureș hosted the first edition of the TECHConnect Technology Transfer Festival, organized by Iceberg+ in partnership with CITT I4T, CIT IRECSON, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, and George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș.
Over 350 participants – researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives from the public and academic sectors – took part in a format that combined direct dialogue with startup presentations, matchmaking sessions, and entrepreneurial discovery exercises.
Brașov – where research, funding, and public policy connect
The official opening took place at CATTIA Brașov, in the presence of Mayor George Scripcaru, with a message from Dragoș Pîslaru, Minister of Investments and European Projects, and Ionuț Țața, CEO of Iceberg+, who emphasized that regional development begins where local and national priorities meet.
Creative technologist Andrew Melchior opened the festival with a reflection on technology, culture, and ethical sovereignty a call for Europe — and Romania along with it — to build its own voice in technology.
Silvia Ursu (EIT Romania), Ionuț Țața (Iceberg+), and Anca Păiușescu (General Secretariat of the Government – Innovation Lab) spoke candidly about what Romania still lacks to innovate at a national scale: institutions that collaborate consistently, not occasionally.
Aharon Dines (UiPath) and Timmy Ghiurău (Volvo Cars, The Point Labs) brought the industry’s perspective — showing how automation and creativity are not mutually exclusive, but can together reshape the way we work and innovate.
Alexia Perouse, Adrian Radu, and Diana Pîrjol discussed how research and investment can be effectively connected, while Irina Florea-Saghin, Marius Apostu, Raluca Lucăț-Gîrbacea, Octavia Negruți, and Bogdan Ciocănel explained how technology transfer mechanisms can work in practice.
In parallel, within the +ONE Incubator at CATTA – the festival’s venue in Brașov – researchers and companies worked on topics such as health, energy, and mobility, in a format that will be further expanded within Centru Innovation Valley.
On the second day of the festival in Brașov, discussions focused on funding and scaling.
Cecilia MoSze Tham (Futurity Systems) on how disciplined imagination can build better futures — and urged Romania to develop its own “digital soul” as part of an effort to craft a coherent strategy that truly supports innovation.
Paul Bulencea a vorbit despre importanța experienței directe în inovație – fără legătura cu realitatea și cu oamenii care folosesc soluțiile, progresul devine abstract.
Silvia Ursu highlighted the growing interest of investors in deep tech across Romania’s Central and Western regions: Jean-Marc Bally (Aster Capital), Yann Gozlan (Creative Valley), Alexia Perouse (iBionext), and Paul Ștefănuț (BoosterLab), joined by MedTech founders Zaki Milhem (WakeZ) and Roxana Sabău Vesa (Synaptiq).
Loredana Gavrilescu, Alexandru Agatinei, Vadim Fîntînari, Cristina Țoncu, Carmen Țale, and Răzvan Suta showed through concrete examples that it is possible to build and scale from Romania for markets that truly matter.
Sibiu and Târgu Mureș – applied innovation and European collaboration
At Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, the sessions focused on energy and advanced manufacturing, featuring Ramona Samson, Bogdan Pîrvu, Dan Zbuchea, and Dominic Gorecky (Swiss Smart Factory).
At UMFST “G.E. Palade” Târgu Mureș, the sessions focused on MedTech and digital health, featuring Yolanda Beenen, Zaki Milhem, Sorina Moica, Jacek Kasz, and Ali Tavakoli, in discussions dedicated to moving from lab to market and fostering international collaboration.
The TECHConnect Festival provided the setting for the official launch of the Centru Innovation Valley platform, in the presence of Ioan Levițchi, Director of Regional Policies at ADR Centru — a partnership between academia, business, and local administration, created to transform applied research into a driver of regional economic development.
The initiative brings together universities, clusters, startups, and public authorities within a shared collaboration framework focused on projects with direct economic impact and measurable results.
Centru Innovation Valley can become a reality through the successful implementation of initiatives launched by ADR Centru, including:
• a regional investment fund for innovative startups;
• two open innovation platforms and business incubators in the fields of smart specialization;
• new industrial parks and research infrastructures, both public and private;
• a network of over 15 local business incubators and accelerators;
• over 200 innovative startups funded through grants and investments;
• the consolidation of a regional network connecting universities, companies, and local administrations into a functional innovation system.
„Centru Innovation Valley will become the support initiative through which we bring ideas out of laboratories and turn them into products and companies with real impact on the economy.
We have the support of city halls and ADR Centruwe work directly with universities, and we have partnerships with investors from Romania and Europe.
The next natural step is for startups in the region, local administrations, and as many investors as possible to join us — because the region grows only if we build it together.
The first concrete step we’ve already taken, beyond organizing TechConnect, is the TECHConnectis +ONE Incubator, la CATTIA Brașov the entry point for startups, research teams, and local administrations that want to test, pilot, and scale new solutions,”said Ionuț Țața, CEO CEO Iceberg+.
“Technology transfer is the mechanism through which innovation can grow from the bottom up — from regional to national and European level. If research remains isolated, progress stays theoretical. When the results of universities and research centers begin to be used by companies and local communities, they become an engine for development and change. Centru Innovation Valley gives us exactly this framework — a concrete way to connect regional capacities to European innovation networks,” said Irina Florea-Saghin, Coordinator of the CITT I4T Technology Transfer Center and Festival Manager. Centru Innovation Valley Valley gives us exactly this framework — a concrete way to connect regional capacities to European innovation networks,” said Irina Florea-SaghinCoordinator of the CITT I4T Technology Transfer Center CITT I4T and Festival Manager.
Organizatori și sprijin
TechConnect was organized by Iceberg+, in partnership with “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu (ULBS), “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, and CIT-IRECSON. Operationally, the technology scouting and matchmaking were carried out by CITT I4T, Iceberg+’s accredited technology transfer center and a member of the Enterprise Europe Network.
The event was supported through a grant from the Ministry of Education and Research, through the Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development, and Innovation (UEFISCDI), project number PN-IV-P7-7.4-FTT-2024-0055, under the National Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation (PNCDI IV).
About Iceberg+
Iceberg+ is a European consultancy company with over 15 years of experience in innovation hubs, funding, and technology transfer. With more than 30 consultants and 100 collaborators, Iceberg+ works across a wide range of fields — from deep tech, e-health, creative industries, manufacturing, and urban mobility to European programs and networks. It manages CITT-I4T (Smart City, Industry 4.0, e-Health), implements three digital innovation hubs (FIT DIH, DIZ DIH, CityInnoHub DIH), serves as the EIT Community Office in Romania (covering EIT Urban Mobility, EIT Manufacturing, EIT InnoEnergy, and as a member of EIT Culture & Creativity), and acts as the local coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).
