Smart Transylvania Clusters
From vision to sustainable action.
Smart Transylvania: a Regional Clusters Alliance, a Network of Ideas and Innovation
We are Smart Transylvania – a tangible example of what happens when collaboration transcends sectoral and geographic boundaries. Clusters with expertise in key industries, such as information technology, renewable energy, furniture manufacturing, agriculture and food, the creative industries, and the green and circular economy, come together to share knowledge and vision.
This common ground allows ideas to take shape, grow in to meaningful projects, and turn into real solutions that make a difference regionally, nationally, and across Europe.
Our mission at Smart Transylvania
Our mission at Smart Transylvania is to foster innovation, promote sustainable development, and strengthen collaboration by building an integrated working framework that connects all members of our network.
Guided by this, we envision a connected region that becomes a global model of smart cooperation: a space where diverse capabilities come together to prepare our economies, organizations, and communities for the future.
Explore the activity of our member clusters
Discover the foundation of this collaboration. Each cluster is introduced through its unique profile, ongoing projects, key initiatives, and generated impact.
You’ll see how a collaboration rooted in openness and trust can give rise to bold initiatives with tangible effects on the economy, education, industry, and innovation.
TRANSYLVANIAN FURNITURE CLUSTER
Strengthens the capacity of SMEs and promotes Transylvania as a hub of design and quality manufacturing.
Description and mission
Transylvanian Furniture Cluster (TFC) fosters innovation and boosts competitiveness in the furniture sector by bringing together companies, research centers, public actors, and support structures.
Its mission is to drive sustainability, speed up digital transformation, and strengthen global collaboration.
With over 13 years of experience, TFC has led national and EU-funded projects, becoming a benchmark for strategic development in Europe.
Established:
2012
Members:
104+
Areas of interest:
- Research and Development
- Sustainability
- Internationalization
- Digitalization
- Circular economy
ECEI
GOLD LABEL of Cluster Excellence
GO Furniture META-CLUSTER
The Transylvanian Furniture Cluster (TFC) is a founding member of the European "GO Furniture" Meta-Cluster, a strategic initiative that currently brings together 15 clusters from the furniture and wood industry across Europe, with the aim of strengthening international collaboration, driving innovation, and supporting the internationalisation of companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. TFC's involvement in this alliance positions the organisation and its members within an active European network oriented towards developing competitiveness and adapting to the technological and sustainability transformations shaping the sector.
The "GO Furniture" Meta-Cluster was established following the completion of the European project Furniture Go International (FGOI), which aimed to facilitate access for furniture industry companies to international markets and to strengthen cooperation between European clusters in the sector. Building on the results achieved within the project, the partners involved decided to formalise their collaboration into a long-term structure, through the signing of a Partnership Agreement and the official launch of the "GO Furniture" META-CLUSTER.
At the time of its establishment, the meta-cluster was founded by eight founding partners from Romania, Spain, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Bulgaria. The network has since expanded, now bringing together 15 member clusters.
website: gofurniture.eu
Explore a selection of TFC's projects
reBUILD
2025–2027 | €550K
CE – COSME Project
- Sustainability
- Training & Skills
- Connect Ukraine
CEM – FURNITURE EXCELLENCE CENTRE
2022–2024 | €11.97M
RO - POC3 Project
- Research & Development
- Infrastructure
- Innovation Support
SILEO
2022–2025 | €1.44M
EU – COSME Project
- Digitalization
- SME Resilience
- Circular Economy
BETTER FACTORY
2020–2024 | €8.64M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Piloting: Manufacturer – Artist – Technology Provider
EXCELIVING
2022–2023 | €617K
EU – COSME Project
- Living Spaces
- Health and Well-being
- ClusterXchange
FGOI - FURNITURE GO INTERNATIONAL
2021–2024 | €611K
EU – COSME Project
- Third Country Strategy
- European Partnerships
- Co-creation Pilots
GIRLS4ECONOMY
2024–2026 | €120K
EU – ERASMUS Project
- Entrepreneurial Education
- Gender Equality
- Youth Training
RDI PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
2018–2020 | €95K
RO – PN III Project
- Co-design
- Co-development
INTRIDE
2020–2022 | €976K
EU – ERASMUS Project
- Education
- Digital skills
- Design Thinking
EUROPEAN INNOVATIVE CLUSTER
2016–2022 | €2.32M
RO – POC1 Project
- European Recognition
- Excellence
- Strategic Development
COMPETITIVENESS POLE
2013–2015 | €6.50M
RO – POSCCE Project
- Infrastructure
- Cluster network
- Regional innovation
TRANSILVANIA IT CLUSTER
Its work empowers SMEs and showcases Transylvania as a place where innovation meets practical application.
Description and mission
Transilvania IT Cluster (TITC) brings together key players from the regional tech ecosystem – from agile startups and leading IT companies to universities and public institutions – to drive digital transformation and cross-sector innovation.
Its mission is to connect knowledge, technology, and entrepreneurship to develop smart solutions and unlock regional potential.
TITC is now a trusted EU partner and a driver of Transylvania’s growing role in Europe’s digital landscape.
Established:
2013
Members:
190+
Areas of interest:
- Technological innovation
- IT Education & Training
- Policy Support
- Digital transformation
- Internationalization
ECEI
GOLD LABEL of Cluster Excellence
Explore a selection of TITC's projects
SEISMEC
2024–2027 | €10M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Human Centrism
- Industry 5.0
- Digitalization
ENERGENIUS
2024–2027 | €5M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Energy Transition
- Digitalization
- Innovation
PPP - NGO
2025–2026 | €1M
RO – PEO Project
- Social Innovation
- NGO Capacity Building
- Public-Private Collaboration
PEO - STEPING
2025–2026 | €1M
RO – PEO Project
- NGOs
- Digital skills
- Young professionals
ZEROW
2022–2025 | €12M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Food Waste
- Systemic Innovation
- Sustainable Food Systems
AI-PRISM
2023–2025 | €9.34M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Artificial Intelligence
- Manufacturing
- Human Centrism
CLUJ-NET Zero Cities
2023–2025 | €1.50M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Climate Neutrality
- Urban Sustainability
- Decarbonization
GILL
2023–2025 | €2.58M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Living labs
- Technology
- Digital Transformation
DS2
2024–2026 | €7.61M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Data spaces
- Technology
- Smart Cities
SHINE
2024–2027 | €400K
EU – ERASMUS+ Project
- Education
- Technology
- Students
IT-BRIDGES
2025–2027 | €555K
EU – SMP COSME Project
- Clusters
- Strategy
- Colaboration
AGROTRANSILVANIA CLUSTER
Drives innovation in agri-food value chains and positions Transylvania as a leader in bioeconomy-driven development.
Description and mission
AgroTransilvania Cluster (ATC) supports the development of the agribusiness sector through research, innovation, and technology transfer.
With the ambition to become Romania’s national reference center for technology transfer in the agri-food sector, ATC offers its members access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and facilitates strategic international partnerships.
Over the past decade, it has become a key player in shaping Romania's bioeconomy and agri-food sector innovation ecosystem.
Established:
2013
Members:
90+
Areas of interest:
- Bioeconomy
- Smart agriculture
- Agro-industrial research & development
- Technology transfer
- Internationalization
ECEI
GOLD LABEL of Cluster Excellence
Explore a selection of ATC's projects
BIO-Inspire
2025–2028 | €2.99M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Bioeconomy
- Cluster Collaboration
- Sustainable Innovation
SOILTRIBES
2025–2027 | €5.99M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Soil
- Communities
- Sustainability
Transylvanian Oils
2022–2024 | €181K
RO – PNDR Project
- New products
- Tradition
- Short Supply Chain
Transylvanian Dairy
2023–2025 | €377K
RO – PNDR Project
- Local dairy
- Local market
- Short supply chain
Angus Local Chain
2023–2025 | €250K
RO – PNDR Project
- Beef
- Short supply chain
- Cooperation
Grazing4AgroEcology
2022–2026 | €2.99M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Grazing
- Animal welfare
- Agroecology
TRUST-FOOD
2022–2025 | €2.66M
EU – DEP Project
- Blockchain
- Digital Skills
- Food Supply Chain
EENOVA
2023–2026 | €1.46M
EU – LIFE Project
- Energy Efficiency
- Sustainability
- Food Processing
ATC - RDI Bioeconomy Infrastructure
2022–2023 | €2.07M
RO – POC3 Project
- Bioeconomy
- Research
- Innovation
ZeroW
2022–2024 | €12.69M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Food Waste
- Innovation
- Food Supply Chain
TRACK
2018–2020 | €44K
EU – COSME Project
- Big Data
- SMEs
- Agrifood Chain
AgroBio Hub
2016–2023 | €3.43M
RO – POC1 Project
- Bioeconomy
- Innovation
- Cluster
START
2014–2016 | €200K
RO – POSCCE Project
- Sustainable Development
- Agri-food Initiative
TRANSYLVANIA ENERGY CLUSTER
Accelerates the green transition by supporting innovation and partnerships in the energy sector at regional and national level.
Description and mission
Transylvania Energy Cluster (TREC) was created in response to the growing need for renewable energy and the opportunities it brings.
Its mission is to foster innovation in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the circular economy by supporting clean technologies and building strong partnerships.
TREC has actively supported the energy transition, contributing to regional capacity building and national and European decarbonization efforts.
Established:
2015
Members:
42+
Areas of interest:
- Environmental protection
- Green transition
- Renewable energy
- Energy efficiency
- Bioeconomy
ECEI
GOLD LABEL of Cluster Excellence
Explore a selection of TREC's projects
NetZeroCities
2023–2025 | €1.5M
EU – HORIZON Project
- Climate Neutrality
- Urban planning
- Smart technologies
CITAT‑E
2016–2022 | €2.56M
RO – POC1 Project
- Research
- Technology Transfer
- Energy efficiency
Inov-TREC
2018–2020 | €92k
RO – PNIII Project
- RDI Infrastructure
- Energy
- Innovation
TRANSYLVANIA CREATIVE INDUSTRIES CLUSTER
Strengthens the creative ecosystem by connecting talent, technology, and education in urban and regional development.
Description and mission
The Transylvania Creative Industries Cluster (CICT) supports the creative economy by connecting cultural entrepreneurs, tech developers, academia, and local authorities to drive urban and social innovation.
Its mission is to empower creative talent, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and harness digital tools for inclusive growth.
Through projects in design, media, education, and digital arts, CICT has become a key player in innovation at the intersection of culture, technology, and community development.
Explore a selection of CICT's projects
Eurofabrique
2022–2026 | €200K
EU – Creative Europe Project
- Contemporary Art
- European collaboration
- Young creatives
Open Innovation. Brand of Cluj-Napoca
2022–2024 | €60K
RO – Proiect al Primăriei Cluj-Napoca
- Experimentare creativă
- Educație creativă
- Laboratoare experimentale
3R GREEN CLUSTER
Promovează creșterea sustenabilă prin colaborare între sectoarele economiei verzi și sprijinirea inovației locale.
Description and mission
3R Green Cluster (3RGC) brings together organizations and companies dedicated to advancing the “Reduce–Reuse–Recycle” principles through collaborative innovation, education, and the implementation of sustainable solutions.
Its vision is to contribute to a greener, more resource-efficient economy in Romania by reducing environmental impact in key sectors.
Guided by a clear strategy and a strong impact driven approach, its mission is to promote circular economy models and support eco-innovation across local value chains.
Established:
2022
Members:
20+
Areas of interest:
- Green technologies
- Circular economy
- Internationalization
- Sustainable innovation
- Biodiversity protection
- Sustainable business models
ECEI
BRONZE LABEL of Cluster Excellence
Explore a selection of 3RGC's projects
3RGC STRATEGY
2022–2023 | €14K
RO – BERD Project
- Green Innovation
- Branding
- Strategy
Smart Transylvania's Collaborative Projects
The cooperation between the clusters has been developing for over a decade. Initially established as an informal network of active clusters from the North Transylvania region, this collaboration grew organically over time, grounded in mutual trust, shared values, and complementary strengths.
Over the years, the cluster teams have built strong partnerships, worked together on impactful projects, and cultivated a culture of collaboration
that goes beyond sectoral boundaries.
Our projects reflect a diversity of sectors and challenges, showing how the expertise, energy, and commitment of the Smart Transylvania clusters come together to create value — for the ecosystem, the region, and the future.
Projects that helped shape the evolution of Smart Transylvania
Representation in the North-West Regional Programme’s Monitoring Committee (PR NV)
What is the Monitoring Committee of the North-West Regional Programme (PR NV)?
The Monitoring Committee (MC) of the North-West Regional Programme 2021–2027 is the governing body responsible for overseeing programme implementation, ensuring compliance with EU rules, and approving key decisions to maintain transparency, efficiency, and strategic alignment.
It approves key elements such as selection criteria, evaluation plans, and programme modifications, while upholding transparency and partnership.
What is Smart Transilvania’s role as a Monitoring Committee member?
As members, we represent clusters and the private sector, helping shape decisions and ensure that innovation and business interests are reflected in the programme’s priorities.
We aim to ensure that the voice of private stakeholders and digital innovation enablers is taken into account in the programme’s governance.
Through our participation, we help uphold the principles of transparency, fairness, and broad participation in funding opportunities for all categories of beneficiaries.
From TCIC to TCIW to CMR
2015-2020TCIC
Transylvanian Clusters International Conference2022TCIW
Transylvanian Clusters International Week2025CMR
Clusters Meet Regions
Our collaboration as Transylvanian clusters goes beyond joint projects or occasional meetings. It is sustained through ongoing initiatives and events that showcase good practices, address shared challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration at the European level.
Among these initiatives, the Transylvanian Clusters International Conference (TCIC) stood out as a platform for connecting regional clusters with international stakeholders in innovation and economic development.
Over six consecutive editions (2015–2020), the conference brought together hundreds of experts from around the world, becoming a key platform for connecting the local ecosystem with international innovation and collaboration networks.
It served as a platform for public policy, research, industry, and education to engage in open, knowledge-sharing dialogue, with the goal of sparking new partnerships and collaborative initiatives.
In 2022, in response to growing interest and participants demand for a more comprehensive format, the event evolved into the Transylvanian Clusters International Week (TCIW) - a full week dedicated to cross-sector collaboration.
Each day of TCIW explored a distinct theme - ranging from digitalization, sustainability, and creative industries to professional training, internationalization, and regional policy. The event fostered deeper community engagement and strengthened connections at both national and European levels.
This tradition of international visibility continues in 2025 with Clusters Meet Regions, hosted in Cluj-Napoca on July 1–2. Building on the experience of
previous editions, the event once again places Transylvania at the forefront of Europe’s dialogue on clusters, innovation, and smart collaboration.
What’s our true essence?
Beyond our formal structure as a clusters network, we represent a living ecosystem where resources, skills, and energy converge toward shared goals. It is a space where trust, collaboration, and initiative form the foundation for meaningful value creation.
We believe that when the right people come together, combine their expertise, and work toward a shared purpose, ideas and solutions emerge that have the power to transform key areas of our economy and society.
The key elements behind the success of our partnership
DEFINED VISION
COLLABORATION & TRUST
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
ACTION WITH PURPOSE
Our story goes further
When these clusters engage in strategic collaboration, their collective impact extends beyond individual success, as it shapes the economy, strengthens local communities, and influences the future.