Monica Constantinescu, Bosch: “This uncertainty unfortunately creates a competitive disadvantage compared to other European countries that offer greater stability”

At an event marking the 30th anniversary of ACAROM, Monica Constantinescu, Senior Vice President and Plant Manager at Robert Bosch Mobility Electronics, highlighted a series of major challenges facing Romania’s automotive industry, emphasizing the need for predictability, competitive energy costs, and accelerated workforce upskilling.

“We are facing a number of major challenges, and the first point I would like to underline is the lack of predictability,” said Monica Constantinescu. “In the automotive industry, we work with long development cycles and we need to make long-term plans. We cannot commit to long-term investments without a certain degree of stability.”

She noted that companies are currently dealing with frequent legislative and fiscal changes, often introduced in an ad hoc manner, creating uncertainty for investors and manufacturers.

“This uncertainty unfortunately creates a competitive disadvantage compared to other European countries that offer greater stability,” Constantinescu added.

Another major concern for the sector, she said, is the growing pressure of operational costs, especially electricity prices.

“The price of electricity is becoming a strategic factor for business location and resilience,” she stated. “Maintaining competitive energy prices can lead to recurring projects in Romania, attract future investments, and have a direct impact on production capacities.”

Constantinescu also pointed to the rapid transformation underway in the automotive industry, driven by electromobility, automation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence.

“We are talking about a transition to electromobility, but also about an extraordinary pace of automation in manufacturing, as well as digitalization and artificial intelligence,” she said.

According to Constantinescu, these changes require a significant acceleration in workforce skills development. She stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to support the industry’s future needs.

“We believe in the talent and capabilities of Romanians. There is a need for a public-private partnership to ensure that this rapid upskilling takes place both across the industry and within the educational system,” she concluded.