We are delighted to announce that Robert Uzună, our Chairman and Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Ursus Breweries, was recently featured in an in-depth interview as part of The Diplomat-Bucharest’s “Romania’s Decision Makers” editorial series. Please find the full interview below.
“Romania should prioritize moving up the value chain and developing a coherent, long-term economic strategy, like what we see in other countries. For example, the UK has clearly defined nine high-potential, priority sectors and initiatives in its industrial strategy launched in 2025, which provides direction and predictability,” Robert Uzună – Vice President for Corporate Affairs – Ursus Breweries and Chairman of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce told The Diplomat-Bucharest.
“Of these, four sectors aimed for export and international cooperation are suitable for cooperation with Romania: clean energy, digital & tech, industrial raw materials and fundamental industries. Romania should benefit from a similar approach, focusing on a limited number of strategic sectors where it can build competitive advantages, but also significant opportunities of collaboration with international partners, such as the UK, reflecting the mutual priority given to sectors with high potential for innovation, economic security and energy transition.”
From your perspective, how attractive is Romania today compared to other CEE markets when you allocate capital and investments?
Romania may continue to be considered attractive within the CEE region, particularly when viewed through the lens of long-term perspectives. Recent launch of natural gas extraction in the Black Sea, the geographical positioning in the proximity of the contact point between East and West, its population size and a maturing market are examples of positives that support this affirmation. At the same time, more is to be done on areas that could help the country fulfil its full potential – further infrastructure development (road, utilities, railways etc.), fixing the energy output balance based on its natural resources and an originally well-designed grid and mix, anchoring a public-private common view and intent on the strategic areas to be pursued as a country and the list may go on. When looking from the perspective of the bilateral relation between Romania and UK, analyzing the trade volumes we notice that they overpassed £10 billion annually. The fact that trade between Romania and the UK has grown and remains dynamic—even in a complex international context—confirms that this is a relationship with strong fundamentals. Even though we see now a growth cooperation trend, I must also emphasize that Romania still ranks relatively low in the UK’s overall trade hierarchy, which means there is significant untapped potential. The business community developed within the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce is very active, as we are committed to further creating new cooperation bridges, and to identifying new development paths both for Romanian and UK companies. Romania is attractive for capital allocation, as the country enjoys a mix of solid fundamentals and growth potential.
How do you evaluate Romania in terms of cost competitiveness versus productivity and value creation?
Romania moves beyond the traditional perception of being primarily a cost-competitive market, and the country is recognized for its strong workforce, and its highly trained people. While cost efficiency remains important, particularly in sectors such as manufacturing or FMCG, the real transformation comes from the added value created for the customers, community, employees and society. I also see this shift reflected in trade dynamics. Services are growing faster than goods, and this indicates a structural evolution toward higher value-added activities, such as IT, consulting and professional services. Thus, I believe that Romania is transitioning from a cost-driven model to a hybrid one, where productivity, skills and innovation play an increasingly important role.
What are the top three factors that most influence your investment decisions in Romania?
For BRCC members, investment decisions in Romania are mainly shaped by the country’s long-term growth potential, the availability of skilled talent, and the development of critical infrastructure. It is important that Romania remains an attractive market with opportunities across multiple sectors, supported by a competitive workforce and ongoing investments in connectivity, energy, digitalization, and industrial development.
At the same time, predictability remains essential. Investors look closely at the stability and clarity of the legislative and fiscal framework, as these factors directly influence confidence, planning, and the ability to scale operations sustainably.
How could public authorities better support large investors and strategic industries?
The most important contribution public authorities can make is to ensure consistency, predictability and to strengthen public–private dialogue. One of the lessons we can draw, including from other markets such as the UK, is that coordinated strategies between government and business can deliver meaningful results. It is particularly important for investors to be able to make long-term plans, as the return on investment is not immediate, and the amortization of investment costs can even take decades.
What should Romania change in education or workforce policies to better match business realities?
The answer goes toward an almost unanimously opinion – better alignment between formal education and the real needs of the tomorrow labor market. However, this is easier said than done.
Given the current speed of technological, social and overall economic development, portraying an accurate image of the future is difficult.
Technology has changed the way companies operate, communicate and create value. Some roles are becoming less relevant, while new ones are emerging and require different skill sets, more adaptability and a stronger practical component. This makes it important to invest more in applied education models, such as dual education, vocational training, lifelong learning and stronger partnerships between universities and companies.
From a business perspective, practical learning can have a direct impact.
To exemplify the above, at Ursus Breweries we developed, in partnership with Envisia, a programme dedicated to helping our distributor partners strengthen their business planning and adopt a longer-term strategic perspective. The programme was designed for business owners, so the approach was fully practical and business oriented. The feedback was very positive, supported by strong attendance, and it showed that people are open to developing new skills when the learning is relevant to their day-to-day business realities.
At the same time, at Ursus Breweries we have a strong cooperation with high schools from Buzau and University of Galati, to help them prepare the new generation of students that have the chance of seeing industry at work as early as possible. We have been investing in the past years, and we noticed that it is more sustainable for us to integrate in the workforce youngsters which already understand some aspects of the business, and it also gives them a better career path.
At the same time, companies should be encouraged to invest in such initiatives, through a policy environment that supports skills development, public-private partnerships and continuous education. This would help Romania better prepare its workforce for the needs of a changing economy.
How confident are you about Romania’s economic outlook for 2026–2030?
At this moment I remain cautiously optimistic. Romania has solid fundamentals and continues to grow, but we are also operating in a complex geopolitical and economic environment. I believe that society needs to operate in a mindset of realism, and this also requires long-term planning. If Romania maintains its trajectory and improves in key areas such as infrastructure and predictability, I believe the country can strengthen its position as a relevant regional economy.
Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities during this period?
Looking into the relationship between Romania and the UK, the most promising opportunities lie in sectors where Romania already has a competitive base but can move up the value chain. Automotive and manufacturing remain important, but services—especially IT, consulting and professional services — are areas where we see the fastest growth and the greatest potential. The members of the BRCC are active and they are interested in boosting international cooperation, and as services are growing at a much faster pace than goods, I believe that this is also a signal of a structural shift in the economic partnership. Moreover, sectors linked to sustainability and digitalization will play an increasingly important role.
On top, Romania can continue to access European funds, and they may translate into better infrastructure opportunities, generating a positive context for companies active in the logistics sectors, and also for connecting the underdeveloped regions of the countries to the most developed ones, and thus generating further business opportunities for the local entrepreneurs.
What investment priorities will define your company’s roadmap in Romania over the next 3–5 years?
Ursus Breweries operates under a long-term development strategy, focused both on the company’s direct operations and on its impact across the entire value chain and in the communities where we are present.
To maintain a high level of performance, we develop large-scale projects that require long-term commitment. We continue to invest in modernization, operational efficiency, portfolio diversification and sustainability — an approach we have maintained even though recent years have been marked by a high level of fiscal unpredictability and changing social dynamics.
What should Romania’s economic strategy prioritize to stay competitive in the next decade?
Romania should prioritize moving up the value chain and developing a coherent, long-term economic strategy, like what we see in other countries. For example, the UK has clearly defined nine high-potential, priority sectors and initiatives in its industrial strategy launched in 2025, which provides direction and predictability. Of these, four sectors aimed for export and international cooperation are suitable for cooperation with Romania: clean energy, digital & tech, industrial raw materials and fundamental industries. Romania should benefit from a similar approach, focusing on a limited number of strategic sectors where it can build competitive advantages, but also significant opportunities of collaboration with international partners, such as the UK, reflecting the mutual priority given to sectors with high potential for innovation, economic security and energy transition.
Which three reforms would have the greatest positive impact on business confidence?
Bringing predictability, alongside simplicity and consistency in fiscal policy, accelerating critical infrastructure development and lastly simplifying administrative processes by eliminating redundancies and red-tape bureaucracy. Together, these would address the main structural challenges that businesses face and significantly improve the investment climate.
What industries could realistically become Romania’s strategic champions by 2030?
Romania has the potential to develop strong positions in several key industries. As mentioned earlier, from the perspective of international cooperation between the UK and Romania, focus area could be clean energy, digital & tech, industrial raw materials and fundamental industries.
If you were advising policymakers tomorrow, what one message would you deliver?
My message would be to focus on cooperation and long-term vision. As I have said before, in a complex global context, it is essential to remain realistic, to understand the markets’ dynamic and to build strategies that go beyond short-term cycles. Romania has strong fundamentals and clear opportunities. What is needed is consistency, collaboration and a strategic approach that allows the country to fully capitalize on its potential.