Work is under way in building a Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer in Bălți. This center, housed by the Alecu Russo State University, is expected to open in September 2021 and will serve as an innovation and economic accelerator for the northern region of the country, providing students and young professionals access to laboratories, training rooms, co-working areas, and business offices for startups in ICT, automotive, fashion manufacturing and other regional industries, IPN reports.

The launch of the construction works was attended by Prime Minister Ion Chicu who stated that the experience of European countries, the United States and other developed countries show that this approach of bringing together education and economy is the most successful. ”I am confident the creation of this Center will boost the university education system’s capacity to provide the labor market and the industry with well trained specialists. Keeping in this in mind, the Government comes forth with this huge investment, but I am sure that its output will be as important. Of course, in this as well as in other similar initiatives we have benefited from the support of our development partners. In this case support was provided by the US, Sweden and Great Britain”, Chicu noted, quoted in a press release issued by the Regional Development Agency.

The US ambassador in Moldova Dereck J. Hogan pointed out that the Innovation Center is an excellent example of collaboration between multiple local partners for the educational and economic benefit of Moldova. USAID Moldova alongside Sweden and UK Aid, will contribute over 500 thousand dollars to the Center.

It is expected to provide those over 4 500 students of the Bălți University with labs, co-working and exhibition areas, 3D printing, robotics, and microelectronics zones.

The estimated total cost of the project is 37.54 million lei.