Piatra Neamț, 6–7 February 2026

Competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to collaborate across sectors, and clusters have become one of the most important tools for strengthening innovation ecosystems. This role was at the heart of the 11th Informal Winter Meeting of the Romanian Cluster Association (CLUSTERO). The meeting took place in Piatra Neamț on 6–7 February 2026, and ROHEALTH – The Health and Bioeconomy Cluster attended.

A tradition of Romania’s cluster community

Over eleven editions, the Winter Meeting has become an annual landmark for associative structures across the country. Its informal format is in fact its greatest strength. Representatives of clusters from very different fields, from health, IT and energy to textiles, wood and agri-food, come together to share experiences. They also learn what is being prepared in terms of policy and funding, and lay the groundwork for new collaborations.

CLUSTERO was founded in 2011 and today brings together more than 50 of Romania’s most active clusters. The association acts as the main national platform for cooperation and information exchange between them.

Topics on the 2026 agenda

This year’s discussions focused on several directions that are essential to the development of Romania’s innovation ecosystem:

• the contribution of clusters to the Horizon Europe Missions and how they can generate research and innovation projects with European impact;
• cluster funding mechanisms under the National Research, Development and Innovation Plan (PNCDI IV) and the opportunities available in the coming period;
• the 2026 events calendar, ongoing projects and the outlook for the year ahead.

ROHEALTH’s presentation: European projects for a stronger ecosystem

During the meeting’s sessions, Mădălina A., Senior Expert at ROHEALTH, presented the cluster’s strategic directions. She also spoke about the European projects through which ROHEALTH actively contributes to strengthening the innovation ecosystem:

BOOST develops researchers’ entrepreneurial skills, facilitating access to funding and innovation management. The goal is for public research and private investment not to compete, but to work in the same direction.

ARCOE supports research institutions, universities, human resources organisations and research and innovation bodies. The project aims to improve researcher well-being and to align research careers with labour market needs.

SparkUp strengthens the skills of professionals in the CBRNE field (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive). It also fosters cross-sector innovation for a safer future.

MountResilience helps increase the resilience of European mountain communities in the face of climate change.

The presentation highlighted one element that all these initiatives share: none of them works in isolation. Each project brings together researchers, authorities, the business community and civil society. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that clusters are built to facilitate.

Announcement: the 9th edition of BEHEALTH

At the meeting, ROHEALTH also announced the date of the 9th edition of BEHEALTH, the international event the cluster organises every year. BEHEALTH strengthens international dialogue and promotes innovation in health and bioeconomy. Each year, it brings together experts, researchers, companies and decision-makers from Romania and abroad.

Why meetings like this matter

For ROHEALTH, exchanging know-how with other key players in the ecosystem is a priority. Meetings like the one in Piatra Neamț create the right context for open dialogue and for sharing good practices between associative structures. They also help identify new opportunities for collaboration, at both national and European level.

We thank the CLUSTERO organisers for creating this framework, which year after year helps strengthen the role of clusters in Romania’s economic development and innovation. We are proud to be part of a community that believes innovation is built together.