The event provided decision-makers and entrepreneurs with a set of concrete and innovative solutions, ranging from the creation of an Agrotek Park and the integration of agrivoltaic systems to the transformation of educational institutions into Regional Centers of Excellence. These initiatives are designed to pave the way for better-paid jobs and a stable economic future for young people.
Dionisie Ternovschi, President of the Ungheni District, emphasized the event's crucial role for the region's future. “This event represents a direct bridge between our local experience and the best practices of the USA. Alongside experts from North Carolina, we will identify ways to create innovative ecosystems that fully capitalize on the region’s potential, ensuring well-paid jobs and a stable future for young people,” stated Mr. Ternovschi.
The local administration reinforced this development vision. Ludmila Ursatiev, Head of the Economy Directorate at the Ungheni District Council, stressed the importance of a complex economic strategy: “Integrating the components of agritourism and agricultural education into our economic strategy is not just a trend, but a vital necessity. Discussions with our North Carolina partners reconfirmed that long-term success depends on how quickly we can adopt innovative technologies and how efficiently we can prepare young specialists capable of managing competitive agriculture and an experience-based tourism sector. These partnerships help us transform vision into a tangible action plan.”
International Partnership and Success Models
The necessity of these exchanges was highlighted through the long-standing collaboration between the two parties. Lora Sinigur, a partnership representative, conveyed a message from Elaine Marshall, Secretary of State for North Carolina, indicating that
“The North Carolina-Republic of Moldova partnership is developing on multiple components and is continually enriched. In recent years, the component of agritourism and economic development has been added. This is a People to People partnership, and that is precisely what makes it reliable and sustainable.”
To illustrate the potential, Erica Calderon, Agritourism Marketing Manager from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture,
presented the impressive results from the American state, including 40 million registered visitors last year and over 1,900 organized events. Calderon emphasized that success is founded on continuous education and cross-sectoral partnerships.
Complementing this,
Professor José Cisneros from the North Carolina State University highlighted the need for an integrated and holistic approach to agricultural development, where all components—from irrigation to export—function in a coordinated manner to ensure economic success.
From Local Challenges to Centers of Excellence
On the local front, Viorel Scutaru, Head of the Agriculture Section for Ungheni District, outlined the current situation, noting concrete progress such as the rehabilitation of the irrigation system across 1,800 hectares through the Compact program, supported by the US, and the important role of events like the Ungheni Fest Harvest Festival.
However, a crucial role in achieving modernization is played by education. Larisa Dodu-Gugea, Dean of IER, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, stated,
“Our mission is to align vocational training with the real needs of local agritourism clusters and to integrate sustainable development into study curricula. Only through close collaboration between academia and the economic sector can we prepare specialists capable of meeting contemporary challenges.”
In the same spirit, Ion Oboroc, Director of the Ungheni Agro-Industrial College, declared, “The Ungheni Agro-Industrial College has the potential to become a Center of Excellence for our region. This partnership with North Carolina opens the path for us toward international standards in agricultural education.”
Synthesizing these ideas, Olesea Fortuna, a Fulbright Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, presented the concept of regionalizing innovative ecosystems, proposing an integrated model that connects academia, industry, government, civil society, and the natural environment into a coordinated, functional system.
Consequently, the concrete solutions proposed at the end of the event include:
- Transforming the Ungheni College into a Center of Excellence.
- Creating an Agrotek Park for testing agricultural technologies.
- Implementing agrivoltaic systems that combine agricultural production with energy generation.
Conclusion and Next Steps
In conclusion, Marina Lița, General Manager of GEN Moldova, reaffirmed the main goal of the event: “Through this knowledge exchange, we are providing entrepreneurs and decision-makers in Ungheni with concrete tools to transform the vision of sustainable development into real business opportunities, competitive on international markets.”
The event was realized through essential collaboration, organized by the Ungheni District Council, through the Directorate of Economy and Reforms, in partnership with GEN Moldova. This strategic session took place within the broader campaign of Global Entrepreneurship Week—a global initiative held in the third week of November, which locally aimed to celebrate entrepreneurial successes, analyze lessons learned, and establish clear development goals for the coming year.