From 20 to 22 October 2026, the ECA Interregional Cluster Conference brings together clusters, companies, public authorities, innovation organisations and international partners from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the wider European ecosystems.
Organised within the ECA Regional Cooperation Series and as part of Galați Business Week, the conference “Clusters as Competitiveness Integrators” creates a space for dialogue and collaboration on competitiveness, innovation, interregional cooperation and integration into European value chains.
The event is organised in partnership with the European Clusters Alliance, Romanian Cluster Association – CLUSTERO, South-East Regional Development Agency, Galați City Hall, UNDP Moldova and Ukrainian Clusters Alliance.
Over three days of thematic sessions, networking, pitching and matchmaking, the shared goal is clear: stronger links between the ecosystems of Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and European networks, opportunities and value chains.
Why take part in the ECA Interregional Cluster Conference?
Regions grow when the right people and organisations work together. That is exactly what clusters do: they bring together companies, research institutions, public administration and innovation ecosystems to create new partnerships and opportunities.
The International Cluster Conference, held in Galați and Chișinău, creates the setting for these connections between Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and opens the dialogue to European industrial and innovation ecosystems.
From 20 October, Galați becomes a meeting point for business, clusters and innovation
Medical Workshop
“Preventing Epidemiological Risk in Conflict and Post-Conflict Areas” · Danubius University
The conference continues in Chișinău
Part of the 15th National Cluster Conference of Romania and of Galați Business Week.
The programme addresses several key directions for the region’s competitiveness and development:
Matchmaking for connections that last beyond the event
After the thematic sessions, participants can go beyond classic networking through the matchmaking event organised in cooperation with the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). On the b2match platform, each participant can create a profile, see who else is attending, identify organisations or companies with shared interests and book one-to-one meetings directly during the conference.
ECA Interregional Cluster Conference Programme
The ECA Interregional Cluster Conference opens on 20 October in Galați, with the Medical Workshop, dedicated to collaboration between healthcare specialists, companies, authorities and clusters. On 21 October, also in Galați, the programme continues with sessions on European competitiveness, interregional cooperation, green energy, logistics, creative industries, SMEs, innovation, pitching and matchmaking. On 22 October, the conference moves to Chișinău, with topics including excellence in cluster management, AI and digitalisation, research, innovation and European integration.
For the full agenda, time slots and all sessions, see the detailed programme below or explore the event on the b2match platform.
View the ECA agendaAbout Galați Business Week
The ECA Interregional Cluster Conference is part of a wider four-day programme that puts business, innovation and international cooperation centre stage in Galați.
From 20 to 23 October, Galați Business Week brings together clusters, entrepreneurs, business leaders, authorities, companies, innovation organisations, port operators, Chambers of Commerce and international partners.
Four main events make up this edition’s agenda:
The programme brings together fields that are increasingly interconnected: from clusters and European value chains to healthcare, creative industries, agribusiness, investment, logistics, ports and digital transformation.
For a region, development means more than infrastructure. It means competitive companies, access to innovation, active professional communities, people connected to international networks and the ability to build projects and partnerships together.
In this context, Galați Business Week creates a meeting point between local and regional initiatives and European networks, connecting Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine around shared themes of competitiveness, innovation and development.
Before Galați Business Week, we hit CTRL-SHIFT on creativity
On 25 September, from 6 PM at Hops Gallery, we’re opening a meeting space for Galați’s creative community and for everyone who wants to discover, meet and connect with people working in the creative industries.
CTRL-SHIFT continues one of the themes OpenHub also brings to the ECA Interregional Cluster Conference: the role of creative industries in a region’s development and attractiveness.
From connections built in the local community to partnerships developed in European networks, the starting point is the same: people, ideas and organisations coming together and building together.
