The European Association of Women in Business (PEFA) held the final edition of this year’s Business Outlook 2026 conference at Iași City Hall, as part of the national economic dialogue platform “Together for the Future.” Following the editions held in Sibiu, Craiova and Brașov, the event in Iași marked the conclusion of a nationwide initiative dedicated to strengthening ties between the business community, public authorities, financial and banking institutions, and representatives of local communities.
Four cities. Four business communities. One shared direction: a stronger, more competitive Romanian economy, better connected to development opportunities.
The choice of Iași to host the concluding event of the 2026 BUSINESS OUTLOOK project reflects the strategic importance of the Moldova region within Romania’s economic landscape. With a strong university ecosystem, a dynamic IT&C sector, creative entrepreneurship and significant investment opportunities, Iași exemplifies the region’s development potential, which can be harnessed through collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Andreea Negru, President of PEFA, stated: “Romania needs more than economic potential. It needs trust, continuity and partnerships that deliver results. We launched BUSINESS OUTLOOK 2026 with the conviction that Romania needs genuine economic dialogue, built not only in the capital but also in every region where entrepreneurs invest, create jobs and contribute to the development of local communities.
From Sibiu to Craiova, and from Brașov to Iași, we have met people who demonstrate that the Romanian economy has extraordinary resources of creativity, resilience and performance. The most important conclusion of this journey is that Romanian entrepreneurs do not lack initiative or courage. They need stability, predictability, access to financing and institutions that act as genuine partners.”
PEFA concludes Business Outlook 2026 with the satisfaction of having delivered a project that connected people, ideas and institutions, as well as the responsibility to turn the conclusions of these meetings into concrete courses of action.
“For PEFA, dialogue is not an end in itself. It is the beginning of change. And Romania’s economic future must be built together,” said Andreea Negru, President of the European Association of Women in Business.
Lorena Stoian, First Vice-President of PEFA, emphasized: “Business Outlook 2026 has demonstrated that Romania has valuable entrepreneurial capital, with people who possess vision, determination and the ability to turn challenges into opportunities. However, economic performance cannot be sustained by individual initiative alone. We need an ecosystem in which education, skills, access to resources and collaboration between institutions and the private sector complement one another.
The future of the Romanian economy depends on our ability to invest in people, encourage younger generations to discover their calling, and create genuine opportunities for entrepreneurs and professionals.
For PEFA, leadership means not only the ability to lead, but also the responsibility to create opportunities for others. It means building bridges between generations, between academia and the business community, and between private initiative and public decision-making.
We conclude this nationwide edition with the conviction that every open dialogue and every partnership established represents another step towards a stronger economy and a more balanced society.”
The Iași edition reaffirmed the importance of partnerships between local authorities, central government institutions, the financial and banking sector, and private companies. Discussions focused on the need for effective mechanisms to support investment, align professional skills with economic transformation, and capitalize on the competitive advantages of the Moldova region.
Education and innovation featured prominently in the debates, being recognized as key drivers of productivity growth and the development of businesses capable of competing in international markets. The role of the financial and banking sector in supporting entrepreneurship and facilitating companies’ access to financing instruments tailored to their development needs was also highlighted.
Through the five editions organized in 2026, PEFA has established a dialogue platform that brought together the perspectives of entrepreneurs, public institutions, the banking system and specialists from strategic economic sectors. Beyond the specific characteristics of each region, the message shared across all editions was clear: Romania needs an economic development strategy built on investment, education, innovation and sustainable partnerships.