Banks are only one part of the economic chain and their financing decisions are influenced by the directions taken by the business environment, said Dan Bota, Head of Multinational Corporate Clients, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank.
“Banks are just one link in the economic chain. Whether we finance one industry or another depends on whether we follow the direction the economy is taking,” he explained, at the conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Oradea”, organised by Energynomics, together with the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR.
The financing of projects in the energy sector is governed by a number of factors, starting with the financial feasibility of the project and continuing with technical aspects, legal and opportunity risks, and the quality of the management involved. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria have become key to ensuring long-term business sustainability. In the energy sector, which is strategic from multiple perspectives, risk assessment is vital.
“One of the major risks identified is the legislative one. One client mentioned that in one year there were 17 legislative changes, sometimes at intervals of just two weeks,” Bota added.
Recent years have underlined the importance of energy independence, especially in the context of the health and energy crises. Energy independence has become crucial for every nation, and Romania enjoys a unique mix of resources in Europe, including hydrocarbons, hydropower, photovoltaics, wind power, natural gas and nuclear energy. Romania has a balanced energy mix rarely seen in Europe. This offers a significant strategic advantage and the efficient exploration and use of these resources is essential for economic development and energy security.
At the same time, digitalization plays a key role in the energy sector, but cyber security has become equally important. In an increasingly connected world, protecting energy infrastructure against cyber attacks is crucial to ensure the continuity and reliability of energy services, Bota said.
The conference “Digitalization and energy efficiency – Oradea” was organized by Energynomics with the support of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR, and of our partners: ADC, BCR, Celestica, CRC Energy, Datacor, Fortza.ro, ICAP CRIF, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, Photon Energy, Polytrade Global, Unicredit Bank, WALDEVAR Energy.