TECHConnect is not just another event about innovation. It’s a working space to test what Romania urgently needs: innovation built through collaboration, rooted in regional ecosystems.
The agenda is not divided by topics, but by the relationships that need to function: research ↔ business, government ↔ startups, universities ↔ industry, regions ↔ Europe. Every session is a building block in the kind of infrastructure we need to turn good ideas into real impact.
Morning: Making collaboration the norm – not the exception
The festival opens with a clear question: What needs to work for technology to move forward, not get stuck between institutions?
We bring together people who rarely share the same stage – policy makers, researchers, founders, investors – to discuss:
- how innovation can lead to actual economic growth, not just awards
- why protecting ideas (IP) is a strategic choice, not just a legal step
- where transfer breaks down, and how to fix it collaboratively
Afternoon: Innovation as public infrastructure
Technology transfer is not a moment. It’s a chain of actions, actors, and trust.
With keynotes and panels on AI, robotics, medtech and IP, we zoom in on:
- what fair, scalable partnerships between universities and companies can look like
- how science-based growth plays out in EU policies
- how we build the 'invisible infrastructure' of innovation: rules, standards, shared spaces
In parallel: matchmaking, expos, and making research visible
Throughout CATTIA and local universities, we host fast-track meetings, tech showcases, and brokerage sessions.
It’s a real-world testing ground for potential collaborations: researchers looking for industry partners, startups seeking funding, public authorities scouting validated solutions.
We also help research teams work on their visibility – because innovation needs audience, not just funding.
Day 2: Projects that work. Processes that scale.
The second day focuses on success stories from Romania – projects that moved from lab to market, cities that co-innovate with startups, networks that deliver real value.
We highlight what already works, even at small scale, and discuss:
- what deep tech investors are actually looking for
- how to test a solution before raising big money
- how to build scalable tech from small markets – and avoid the usual mistakes
Why Brașov, Sibiu, Târgu Mureș?
Because innovation must be local to become national.
In Romania’s Central Region, we already have:
- digital hubs offering consulting and piloting spaces for SMEs (FIT EDIH)
- real partnerships between universities and incubators (UMFST & Iceberg+)
- local governments open to piloting urban solutions (Brașov Smart City Lab)
- growing ecosystems that can be scaled and replicated elsewhere
The TECHConnect agenda reflects this regional path: we don’t start from theory – we start from what’s already working. And we learn together how to grow it.
