Outsourcing reached its peak in the last decade of the previous century when a wave of entrepreneurs looked eastward to Europe, relocating their production to gain a clear competitive edge from significantly lower costs. During this period, the entire Northeast of Italy began to see Romania as an industrial partner and a new location for various manufacturing plants.
Timișoara area, the westernmost part of Romania and thus the closest to Italy (less than 600 kilometers by air from Trieste), became known as the “eighth province of Veneto.” To emphasize this connection, the industrialists’ association from Treviso even held its first annual assembly of the new millennium in Timișoara.
Enduring Partnerships and Opportunities
Thirty years later, the scenario has changed drastically. The “wild” outsourcing, as it was understood at the time, has dwindled to a residual phenomenon. However, Romania and the Balkan region, in general, remain strategic for the Italian production system. There are new and different reasons for this: many entrepreneurs, for example, in light of continuous international geopolitical shocks, have opted to drastically shorten their supply chains, placing or finding in Eastern Europe what they previously sought in the Far East.
Furthermore, over the years, the Balkan area has transformed into a market rich in opportunities for Italian companies. And if we add the future reconstruction of Ukraine—which isn’t strictly part of the Balkan region but shares a 650-kilometer border with Romania—the scope of these opportunities is set to expand considerably.
Italy-Romania Economic Relations: Key Figures
Some economic data can help us better understand the situation. Limiting ourselves to Romania, the main country in the area, Italy is its second-largest trade partner (Germany, of course, is the first). Trade has reached a record high of over 20 billion Euros, and Italy is also the second-largest destination market for Romanian exports, which amounted to 9.5 billion Euros (especially electrical equipment, automotive components, industrial parts, footwear, and textiles).
Additionally, Italy is currently the fourth-largest foreign investor in Romania (with over 9 billion Euros in total), and more than 52,000 companies with Italian capital are active in the Romanian market.
Strategic Opportunities and Favorable Taxation
Currently, a series of strategic investment opportunities have been activated in Romania. This is thanks to the Sace-Ansaldo memorandum in the electrical and nuclear fields, the Neptun Deep project for the Black Sea gas pipeline, and projects within Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) focusing on ecology, health, digital transformation, and research. In particular, within a context of solid and growing bilateral relations between the two countries, sectors of particular interest for 2025 include energy, infrastructure, and, more generally, innovation.
Maschio Gaspardo – Over 20 Years in Romania
The presence of the Maschio Gaspardo Group in Romania is a prime example of a long-standing partnership and the mutual trust built over the years. With a history of over two decades in the Romanian market, through its strategically located factory in the Chișineu-Criș area, Maschio Gaspardo is not just a manufacturer of agricultural machinery but a dedicated partner to farmers in Romania and across the entire region.
Mirco Maschio, President of Maschio Gaspardo S.p.A, notes that the Group’s commitment to the local market has gone beyond simple production delocalization. “Through constant investments in technology, modernization, and the development of local personnel, the factory in Romania has become a center of excellence, recognized for the quality and reliability of its products. This approach has generated solid trust among Romanian farmers, who know that Maschio Gaspardo machinery manufactured in the country is adapted to their specific needs and meets the highest international standards.”
This trust is not limited to Romania’s borders. “Made in Romania” Maschio Gaspardo products are exported to numerous countries, contributing to Romania’s reputation as a quality industrial production hub. The fact that the Maschio Gaspardo Group is now the largest producer of agricultural machinery in the country underscores not only commercial success but also a profound relationship based on a long-term commitment to the development of local agriculture. Through continuous innovation and adaptation, Maschio Gaspardo demonstrates that a sustainable partnership brings significant benefits to both parties, strengthening Romania’s position on the agricultural and industrial map of Europe.
Viewed by someone who knows it very well, like Mirco Maschio, the Romanian market today is consolidated and strategic: “We believe in the extraordinary potential of Romania and its ability to become a reference agricultural and industrial center in Eastern Europe.”