Cluj-Napoca: Romania 2030 – Executive Round Table: AI, Talent, Competitiveness and the Future of Work

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the economy faster than any previous technological revolution. As the debate matures, the decisive question is no longer about the technology itself, but about people and work: which jobs will change, which skills will matter, how experience will be acquired, and how nations will remain competitive and cohesive.

Convened under the patronage of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (held by Ireland, July–December 2026), the Romania 2030 - Executive Round Table brings together leaders from business, technology and public institutions, alongside authoritative voices from abroad, to explore how Romania can prepare its labour market, its skills and its institutions for the age of AI.

The discussion moves the conversation from anxiety to concrete strategy. The evidence to date is clear: AI is reshaping tasks more than eliminating jobs; employment across advanced economies remains near historical highs; and, as with steam, electricity and information technology before it, AI is emerging as a general-purpose technology - disruptive and uneven, but historically associated with productivity growth and net job creation.

One paradox deserves particular attention: organisations increasingly seek experienced professionals, even as AI automates many of the entry-level roles where experience has traditionally been acquired. At the same time, AI is a powerful creator of opportunity generating new categories of work and rewarding scarce new skills, while helping ageing economies sustain output as workforces shrink.

Four strategic questions will anchor the discussion:
• How will AI redefine work, which professions disappear, evolve or emerge?
• How should education evolve to prepare people for careers still being created?
• How should organisations rethink recruitment, junior careers and human-AI collaboration?
• How can Romania strengthen its competitiveness while managing demographic pressures?

Speakers include Menno Bart (Vice-President of WEC-Europe, World Employment Confederation, and Head of Policy Advocacy at The Adecco Group), Bianca Muntean PhD (Co-Founder and CEO of Transilvania IT Cluster; EU Cluster Manager of the Year 2019), Amita Mirajkar (CEO and Co-Founder of ClairX, an enterprise AI governance consultancy) and Massimiliano Squillace (Founder and CEO of Contents, an AI-powered enterprise technology company), alongside further distinguished voices from Romanian and international business and public institutions.

Romania offers a unique combination of strategic advantages for this transition: highly skilled technical talent and a strong engineering tradition, strong universities and research institutions, a multilingual and internationally experienced workforce, competitive operating costs, and full EU market access positioning Cluj-Napoca as a genuine European hub for this debate.

Date: 6 October 2026 | Guest arrival: 14:30
Venue: Casino – Centrul de Cultură Urbană, Cluj-Napoca