AI Chamber, in partnership with The Recursive Media and supported by European Cloud, launched the CEE AI Index 2026, the first index dedicated to measuring strategic AI readiness in CEE countries. Romania occupies 7th place among 11 analysed states. Despite having one of the most solid policy foundations in the region and the fastest internet infrastructure in CEE, fewer than one in 20 Romanian companies currently use advanced AI solutions.
Romania benefits from a dedicated national AI strategy adopted in 2024 and valid until 2027, which explicitly correlates AI development with human rights principles and trust frameworks for technology use. It represents one of the best-founded approaches in the region from a values and governance perspective. Romania has also obtained AI Factory status within EuroHPC, ensuring access to European high-performance computing infrastructure. The national HPC subsidy programme includes a dedicated call for SMEs and startups, one of the few regional initiatives designed specifically for emerging actors rather than exclusively for established research institutions.
However, the ranking shows these advantages have not yet translated into large-scale economic activity. The adoption rate of advanced AI solutions in business is only 5.21%, among the lowest in the region. With a score of 41.1 in the Environment category, Romania ranks 7th, and the discrepancy between its high-performance infrastructure and the maturity of implementation mechanisms represents the main tension identified in its profile.
The Romanian Hub for Artificial Intelligence will mobilise over €64 million in 2025-2029, one of the most substantial public AI investments in the region, according to representatives of The Recursive Media.
