Romania has registered the largest growth in Central and Eastern Europe of foreign direct investment projects

Romania rose four positions, until the 13th place, in the ranking of the attractiveness index for foreign direct investment entries (ISD) in Europe, is shown in the Ey Attractiveness Survey Romania 2025 study, quoted by Agerpres. This jump took place under the conditions in which Romania registered the largest increase in FDI projects in Central and Eastern Europe, by 57%.

According to the study, 33% of investors believe that it is essential for Romania to invest in increasing technological skills and to improve digital and physical infrastructure

Although 58% of the executive leaders participating in the study believe that Romania's attractiveness will improve in the next three years, this percentage is decreasing, from 67% in the previous year.

Investors believe that the main risks are the macroeconomic conditions, followed closely by the geopolitical tensions, the increase of the operational costs and the political instability, these being most commonly mentioned among the first three concerns that affect the attractiveness of Romania in the next three years.

Romania, among the main 15 destinations for investments in Europe

In the context of a 5% general decrease in the number of FDI projects in Europe, Romania registered a 57% increase in the number of projects, from 60 in 2023 to 94 in 2024. This represents the largest number of ISD projects in 2018, positioning Romania as one of the most dynamic economies in recovery in Central and Eastern Europe.

While traditional competitors in Central and Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and Serbia, have in the past a significant interest from investors, Romania has been clearly imposed as a regional leader in 2024. With 94 announced projects, Romania has held the second position in the ECE region, being expanded only by Poland and exceeding Serbia and Hungary precedent.

Thus, Romania is placed among the main 15 destinations for investments in Europe, before larger or more mature savings, the study is shown.

However, the number of new jobs associated with FDI registered a pronounced decline, decreasing by 31% compared to the previous year, from 5,935 new jobs in 2023, to 4,098 in 2024, which indicates an orientation to more supple investment models or with intensive use of capital.

Examples of foreign investments

Bucharest continues to dominate the ISD landscape of Romania, accumulating 40% of the total projects in 2024 and thus strengthening its status as the main point of attraction for investments. A significant factor that contributed to this trend was the project of extension worth 50 million euros of Alstom, through which a new transport depot was set up within the CFR Grivița workshops, in order to increase its logistics capacity.

Pepsico also intends to expand production and distribution from Popești-Leordeni, through a project worth 95 million euros, aimed at transforming the unit into a European level center.

Outside the capital, large industrial investments have highlighted the diversification of the FDI fingerprint of Romania at the level of all regions. Constanta has drawn attention through a reference investment worth 960 million euros of the Turkish group Capital, which will build a low carbon steel factory near the Black Sea.

In the Center region, German companies were active: Rheinmetall has invested over 243 million euros in a new production unit in Victoria, while Knauf Insulation and Stada announced significant projects in Târnăveni and Turda.

The North-West region has benefited from an investment of 166 million euros from the Austrian group in the Lasselsberger ceramic industry, and in Oradea, the Stihl group started the construction of a production of 35 million euros, worth 125 million.

In parallel, Braila has attracted an investment commitment of 100 million euros from Tesla Energy Storage, for the development of a state -of -the -art energy systems factory, and Anton Haring began the construction of a plant of 60 million euros in Siret, giving industrial importance to a less traditionally represented region from the point of view of foreign direct investments.