A decade of Smart City in Romania.
Thank you very much!
Founded in 2016, ARSC is the largest network in Romania dedicated to transforming communities through innovation, technology and good practice. We are proud to have more than 450 active members (public institutions, companies, universities, experts) united by a shared mission: to build more efficient, connected and sustainable cities.
We are an independent, non-political, non-profit organisation. Our financial independence, secured through consultancy services, income from economic activities and members' contributions, allows us to be impartial and to focus on real projects.
The four groups in the ARSC ecosystem
The association connects public administrations with the private sector, central institutions and experts, in a professional setting that is unique in Romania.
in the ecosystem
administrations
recognition
The ARSC mission.
To improve life in Romania's communities through sustainable public projects, built in partnership with government, industry and society, from the idea and the funding through to implementation. We do good!
Our vision.
A modern, connected Romania, able to turn its cities and villages into smart, sustainable communities that are close to their citizens.
We see a Romania where public administration makes decisions based on data, not improvisation; where city halls have modern digital tools; where citizens deal with the state without queues and without red tape; where energy, mobility, the environment and public services are redesigned around communities, not the other way round.
This vision requires a lasting partnership between public administrations, the private sector, central institutions and academia. ARSC exists to make this partnership work, coherently and at national scale.
Our direction for 2026.
In 2026, ARSC enters a stage focused on developing mature projects. After a decade of grassroots work in communities, ARSC is refocusing its position on three axes: public administration leaders, strategic partnerships with relevant companies, and a national agenda coordinated with central institutions, made up of funding, programmes and projects.
We are launching the National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities, a selective forum that brings together mayors, county council presidents and public administrators involved in urban transformation projects. At the same time, we are structuring our partnerships with companies on three clear levels of involvement, each with defined benefits and quarterly reporting.
"ARSC generates and runs the Smart City industry in Romania, from the idea and the funding through to implementation and results. We do not watch the market, we build it."
Ten years of the ecosystem.
Milestones.
From 2016 to today, ARSC has grown steadily, from a pioneering Smart City association to the largest national platform in the field, with more than 450 members, more than 200 local administrations, 17 digital platforms in operation and a European network that recognises it.
ARSC is founded and the first Smart City Caravan sets off
The Romanian Smart City Association is set up as a national platform dedicated exclusively to smart communities. Also in 2016, the Smart City Caravan starts: the travelling format that takes the dialogue to cities across the country.
The first Smart City Industry Awards
SCIA is launched: the event that becomes the annual benchmark of the Smart City industry in Romania and the way ARSC rewards the projects of public administrations.
Smart City Urban Projects at ROMEXPO
The national exhibition dedicated to Smart City projects attracts more than 16,600 visitors, confirming public and institutional interest in the field.
Smart City Map of Romania: open data
The launch of the Smart City Map of Romania, the first structured open data initiative on community modernisation projects, based on official sources.
The Map passes 1,000 projects
The Smart City Map of Romania passes the milestone of 1,000 mapped projects and becomes the largest public database in the field, cited by journalists, researchers and institutions.
SCIA 8th edition: national scale
The Smart City Industry Awards bring together more than 60 award-winning projects, with a combined value of around €2 billion, the largest edition up to then.
European recognition
ARSC becomes the National Contact Point for the Smart Communities Network (with the support of the European Commission) and signs a strategic partnership with Fira Barcelona / Smart City Expo World Congress, alongside OASC and EIT Urban Mobility.
10 years · Repositioning and delivery
The launch of the National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities, the 10th edition of SCIA (4 March, ROMEXPO), the Energy Projects Map (a portfolio of more than 30 GW), the new edition of the Smart City Caravan and the move to a strategic partnership model.
ARSC's role in the ecosystem.
ARSC works as a neutral platform connecting the people and institutions involved in developing Smart City and Smart Village projects. We are not primarily a consultancy and we do not represent individual interests. A clearly defined role secures the association's long-term credibility and the value it offers all its partners. Just as we have done from the start, 10 years ago!
- Connects public administrations with the private sector and academia, building bridges that lead to projects useful to our communities.
- Brings in funding for smart projects: our EU funding department serves public beneficiaries only.
- Organises working meetings with government representatives, thematic round tables, regional programmes and national events.
- Represents Romania's Smart City ecosystem in European networks.
- Produces and runs a range of digital platforms (maps, indices, summaries and public barometers) that accurately reflect the extent and number of smart projects in Romania.
- Offers visibility and institutional recognition to its partners.
- Coordinates the National Council of Leaders for Smart Communities.
- It is not primarily a consultancy: its main role is that of a neutral platform.
- It does not broker public procurement or commercial contracts.
- It does not guarantee commercial results to its partners.
- It does not represent the interests of any political party.
- It does not promote individual solutions at the expense of others in the ecosystem.
- It does not take the place of authorities or institutions in their decisions.
Meet the ARSC team.
Eduard Dumitrașcu, ARSC President, with a team of 11 experts across the Smart City verticals. Ten years of relationships built in Romania's Smart City ecosystem.