In Iași will no longer be built factories for heavy industry, but technological industries that generate products with high added value are encouraged, said Ciprian Bostan, City Manager of Iasi.

“It’s hard to believe that wagons or cast iron or steel foundries will still be made in Iasi. These can be made in the neighbourhood of the city. We don’t even want that, we want, if possible, to have not some industrial parks, but some high-tech parks where there will be industries with high added value,” Bostan said at the conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Iasi 2024”, organised by Energynomics. “Our main concern is to ensure a quality living environment for its inhabitants and, it’s true, this brings a minus in that investors choose areas in the neighbourhood of the city. It is natural, it happens in all big cities”, said the City Manager of Iasi.

He added that Iasi was an industrial centre, and the city hall wants to remain an economic centre, but not necessarily one of heavy industry. Another reason why Iași does not have large industrial platforms is that, compared to the big cities in the country, Iași has a small surface area, so there is no possibility to create or develop industrial platforms for heavy industries.

On the other hand, Iasi is sought after by young people and that’s why there is an increased demand for housing. This is also why the local authorities are allowing blocks of flats to be built on former factory sites.

“The fact that residential buildings are being built on the sites of former industrial platforms is because the land is in private rather than public ownership, and it is obvious that this conversion is dictated, in the end, by market trends. Iași is an island of relative wellbeing in this north-west area, which is in some respects a victim of the north-west’s vilification, and it is a magnet for young people. Obviously, the demand for housing is constantly growing and that’s why we are allowing housing to be built on the site of former industrial platforms,” Mr Bostan added.

This conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Iasi 2024” was organised by Energynomics with the support of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR and of our partners: Datacor, Exim Banca Românească, Polytrade Global, Solar Turbines, UniCredit Bank, WALDEVAR .