Romania’s Decision Makers | Editorial Series by The Diplomat-Bucharest

As Romania continues to mature beyond its reputation as a cost-driven market, the focus is shifting decisively toward productivity, efficiency, and long-term value creation. In sectors such as logistics and real estate, competitive advantage no longer comes from low labor costs alone, but from how intelligently assets are developed, managed, and integrated into increasingly complex supply chains.

In this context, leadership requires not only strategic investment decisions, but also a fresh perspective on talent and adaptability. Alina Necula, Country Manager at Lion’s Head, believes that the conversation must extend beyond infrastructure and capital to people themselves. Rather than preparing individuals for a single lifelong profession, she advocates for cultivating critical thinking, flexibility, and continuous learning — skills that enable teams to navigate fast-changing markets and cross disciplinary boundaries.

In this interview for The Diplomat-Bucharest, she shares her insights on how Romania’s logistics and real estate sectors are evolving, where value is truly created today, and why the future of business depends as much on mindset as on technical expertise.

From your perspective, how attractive is Romania today compared to other CEE markets when you allocate capital and investments?

In my opinion, Romania remains one of the most dynamic markets in CEE. It combines size, growth potential, and improving connectivity.

Compared to some more mature markets in the region, Romania still offers room for expansion and stronger yield dynamics, especially in logistics.

The key differentiator today is not whether the country is attractive, because it is. The question is how consistently it reinforces that attractiveness through predictability and infrastructure delivery.

How do you evaluate Romania in terms of cost competitiveness versus productivity and value creation?

Romania is no longer just a cost-driven market. Labor costs remain competitive relative to Western Europe, but the conversation has shifted toward productivity and value creation.

In logistics and real estate more broadly, value increasingly comes from how efficiently assets are developed, managed, and integrated into supply chains.

Companies operating here are becoming more sophisticated, and that creates a healthier ecosystem for long-term investment.

What are the top three factors that most influence your investment decisions in Romania: regulation, infrastructure, talent, taxation, or market size?

Infrastructure is critical. Connectivity determines whether a project works operationally.

Predictability in regulation and taxation is equally important. Investors can work with different tax levels, but not with uncertainty.

Finally, talent matters. Not only workforce availability, but managerial and technical competence. Projects are built by capital but sustained by people.

How could public authorities better support large investors and strategic industries?

First, by accelerating infrastructure projects and by maintaining regulatory clarity. The impact of new motorway segments on regional development is immediate and measurable.

Equally important is administrative efficiency. Faster permitting, transparent procedures, and consistent application of rules build trust far more than incentives alone.

What should Romania change in education or workforce policies to better match business realities?

I believe the conversation should shift from training people for a single profession to teaching them how to think, adapt, and learn continuously. The idea that education prepares you for one career path for life is no longer realistic. Markets evolve too fast for that.

What businesses need today are people who can analyze, question, solve problems, and move across disciplines when needed. Technical skills matter, of course, but flexibility and critical thinking are becoming just as important.

Closer collaboration between companies and universities is still essential, but the deeper change is cultural. Education should build adaptable professionals, not fixed job profiles. My own path is an example. I studied law, but my career developed in real estate. The foundation mattered, but the ability to evolve mattered more.

How confident are you about Romania’s economic outlook for 2026–2030?

I am cautiously confident. Romania has structural advantages as market size, geographic position, EU integration, that support long-term growth.

The pace will depend on reform consistency and infrastructure execution. If those remain on track, the medium-term outlook is solid.

Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities during this period?

Logistics remains one of the strongest opportunities, particularly as infrastructure improves and supply chains reorganize regionally.

Well-located, high-quality office assets will continue to perform, especially those that adapt to evolving work models.

Beyond real estate, sectors linked to technology, industrial production, and advanced services have significant potential.

What investment priorities will define your company’s roadmap in Romania over the next 3–5 years?

We will consolidate our logistics platform and continue expanding it in line with infrastructure developments and tenant demand.

At the same time, we will maintain and enhance our office portfolio, ensuring it remains competitive and relevant.

Our approach remains disciplined, long-term, and quality-driven.

What should Romania’s economic strategy prioritize to stay competitive in the next decade?

Infrastructure should remain a top priority. Connectivity is not just about mobility; it determines where capital flows and which regions become economically relevant. Every completed motorway segment changes the investment map.

At the same time, fiscal and regulatory stability are essential. Competitiveness is not built on incentives alone, but on consistency. Investors need to understand the framework in which they operate over the medium and long term.

Finally, Romania should focus on building adaptable talent. Not only technical skills, but the ability to evolve across industries. In a decade defined by technological acceleration, competitiveness will depend on how quickly people and institutions can adjust.

Which three reforms would have the greatest positive impact on business confidence?

Simplifying and digitalizing permitting procedures.

Ensuring multi-year fiscal predictability.

Accelerating infrastructure execution with clear timelines and accountability.

What industries could realistically become Romania’s strategic champions by 2030?

Logistics and industrial production have strong potential, especially as regional supply chains continue to rebalance and companies look for resilient, well-connected hubs within the EU. Romania’s geographic position gives it a structural advantage in this context.

Technology and digital services are another clear pillar. The country already has a strong base of talent and entrepreneurial energy in this area, and with the right support, it can move further up the value chain.

Energy should also be seen as a strategic sector, particularly in the broader context of regional security and energy transition. With the right investments and regulatory clarity, Romania can strengthen its role as a stable energy player in the region.

If you were advising policymakers tomorrow, what one message would you deliver?

Investors can navigate complexity, but they need stability. Consistency builds confidence. Delivering infrastructure, ensure predictability, and the private sector will do the rest.