OPIA highlights Romania's strategic defence role at French-Romanian Security & Defence Business Forum
During the third edition of the French-Romanian Security & Defence Business Forum, the Romanian Defence Industry Employers' Organisation (OPIA) underscored the strategic importance of Romania's defence industry for strengthening security on the Eastern Flank and highlighted the need to develop Europe's industrial resilience.
Held at the Dacia Business Center and organised in partnership with Business France and the French Embassy in Bucharest, the event brought together representatives of the defence industry, Romanian and French companies, and decision-makers focused on expanding industrial and technological cooperation between the two countries.
In the opening panel on strengthening defence capabilities through European industrial cooperation, Razvan Pircalabescu, OPIA president and CEO of ROMARM, outlined OPIA's perspective on developing Romania's defence industry, emphasising investment, technology transfer and the creation of competitive production capacities.
OPIA aims to actively support the reindustrialisation of Romania's defence sector and its integration into European and transatlantic value chains. The organisation currently brings together 129 members and over 50,000 specialists, and backs the strategic objective of raising the national defence industry's contribution to 5% of GDP.
Its strategy focuses not only on increasing public defence allocations but also on transforming investments into industrial capacities that generate added value and revenue for the Romanian economy and state budget.
OPIA advocates directing a significant share of defence funding toward domestic production and projects that strengthen Romania's ability to supply equipment and technologies to its own armed forces and to NATO and EU partners.
A key strategic objective is leveraging existing capacities in Romania's civilian industries - particularly automotive, software and IT - to develop defence-related applications and technologies. This approach would allow rapid expansion of production capabilities, use of existing infrastructure and integration of advanced technologies into military systems.
Thirty OPIA member companies participated, illustrating the sector's technological diversity.
Land systems, naval infrastructure and heavy industry were represented by UMB, Carfil, Rheinmetall Automecanica, Mangalia Naval Shipyard, IRUM, ALRO Slatina, UZINSIDER and COMELF.
Advanced technologies, unmanned systems and digitalisation were showcased by INTELLDRONES, AGRICLOUD, TOP Metrology, Power Net Consulting and Greensoft. Tactical logistics companies included OXO Network Corporation and TWOMAR Group.
The ecosystem also includes precision mechatronics, CNC machining and high-accuracy components manufacturers such as COMPA, ELMEC, TPS COM, NICMAR-DANCI, Miller Manufacturing, Altur, Comboteh, OIL SERVICES LTD and Limex.
Strengthening cooperation between Romanian and French defence industries is a key development direction for OPIA. Member companies already collaborate with major French groups in cybersecurity, radar systems, aerospace, secure military communications, propulsion and mobility for land and naval forces. Partners include Thales, Airbus, Roxel and CNIM.
The presence of major French groups such as Thales and Expleo within OPIA's ecosystem further signals the potential for expanding bilateral industrial cooperation.
A concrete example is the development in Brasov of a Drone Pilot Centre of Excellence, created in partnership with French group DCI (Defense Conseil International) - part of the broader trend of accelerating capabilities based on unmanned systems and adapting defence industry output to new technologies and operational requirements.
OPIA emphasised to French partners and investors that Romania has an industrial base suitable for developing new production capacities, co-development projects and integration of advanced technologies.
Romania benefits from access to European and Euro-Atlantic defence-industry financing mechanisms, including the European Defence Fund (EDF), Horizon Europe, and NATO initiatives such as NIAG and DIANA.
OPIA also views the SAFE programme as a key instrument for developing industrial capacities and strengthening critical supply chains. These mechanisms can help reduce investment risks and accelerate the transition from joint R&D to actual production of defence equipment and technologies in Romania.
By participating in the French-Romanian Security & Defence Business Forum 2026, OPIA reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating dialogue between Romania's defence industry and international partners.
The Romanian Defence Industry Employers' Organisation (OPIA) represents the national defence-industry ecosystem. It supports the modernisation and technological advancement of Romania's defence sector, the development of production capacities and the integration of Romanian companies into European and transatlantic security value chains. AGERPRES (EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)
The content of the www.agerpres.ro website has the exclusive purpose of public informing.
All the information published on this website by AGERPRES is protected by relevant legal dispositions.
It is forbidden to copy, reproduce, recompile, decompile, distribute, publish, display, modify, create derived components or products or full services, as well as any exploitation of the site's content.
Details in the section Terms of Use. If you are interested in picking up AGERPRES news items, please contact the Marketing Department – marketing@agerpres.ro.
The use of the Comments section entails your obligation to respect the AGERPRES terms and conditions in regards to the publishing of comments on the www.agerpres.ro.
Other news in category
Incident at sea / Nine sailors rescued after vessel sinking brought to Port of Constanta
The nine sailors rescued from the water after the sinking of the 'Khoryv' vessel have been brought to the Port of Constanta aboard a rescue vessel and are being attended to by SMURD ambulance crews and border police officers. The sailors are undergoing medical assessments to determine whether they need to be taken to the County Emergency Clinical Hospi
CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS/Andreea Rasuceanu: Bucharest is an endless source of stories to explore in literature
Author Andreea Rasuceanu, one of Romania's contemporary prose writers whose work explores the relationship between literature, history and memory, has been awarded the Romanian Writers' Union's June 2026 Writer of the Month Award for her novel 'Hemiptera' (Polirom, 2026). In an interview with AGERPRES, the author discusses the award-winning book, her rese
Incident at sea/ForMin Neculaescu: Attack on a commercial vessel - blatant violation of international law
Foreign Affairs Minister Dan Neculaescu condemned the attack on a commercial vessel located just 13 nautical miles off the coast of Constanta, in which one sailor was killed and others were injured, underscoring that Romania is working closely with NATO allies, including Bulgaria and Türkiye, to boost the implementation of additional surveillance capabilities agreed at
'Giurgiu-Ruse. Superangular' exhibition opens at Regional Museum of History in Ruse
The exhibition 'Giurgiu-Ruse. Superangular - Vintage Photography and Photographic Technique', which includes vintage photographs, cameras and images from the library of the National News Agency AGERPRES, opened this week at the Regional Museum of History in Ruse, Bulgaria, after being launched in May at the Teohari Antonescu County Museum in Giurgiu. T
Incident at sea / Drone-hit vessel capsizes, with imminent risk of sinking
Structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) are participating on Friday in the search and rescue operation for people missing from a Comoros-flagged commercial vessel that was struck by a drone in the Black Sea, outside Romania's territorial waters. 'At around 10:00, border police officers from the Coast Guard were informed by the Constanta Ma
Major rescue operation offshore of Constanta for crew of vessel at risk of sinking; one dead
Authorities launched a search and rescue operation on Friday for the crew of a vessel reportedly at risk of sinking 13 nautical miles offshore from Constanta. One person has been found dead. According to the Romanian Naval Authority (ANR), a major search and rescue operation is currently under way in the Black Sea. The Maritime Coordination Cent
Constantin Brancusi celebrated in major exhibition at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is hosting the retrospective exhibition 'Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio' from 25 October to 27 February 2027, dedicated to one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Organised with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in New York, the exhibition marks the continuation and st
'Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest' opens on Friday, in Bucharest; 'Fjord' - gala screening at Romanian Athenaeum on Saturday
The 17th edition of Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest, one of the highlights of the autumn film season, opens in Bucharest on Friday. Between October 23 and November 1, the Cinema Elvire Popesco, the Peasant Museum Cinema, the Auditorium Hall of the National Museum of Art of Romania and Apollo 111 will host this special experience for festival audiences.
EUR 2.5-million theme park dedicated to bears from all over the world to open at Sovata
The City Hall of Sovata will build a theme park dedicated to bear species around the globe, an investment estimated at EUR 2.5 million euros that will get European funding. 'Where did the idea come from? Lately we still have problems with bears, but not only us. And then I said that, anyway, if we have bears in Targu Mure, and in Cluj-Napoca, we have alway
PM Niculescu: I want us to establish an integrated plan to improve safety in schools very quickly
Prime Minister Luca Niculescu announced at the start of the Government meeting that an integrated plan would be drafted to improve safety in schools, with clear responsibilities, prevention measures, rapid intervention and firm sanctions for acts of violence. On Friday, the prime minister will hold a working meeting with ministers and the relevant institutions
'Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The Partnership for the EU' volume launched in Bucharest
The tenth volume in the Documentary Notebooks series, entitled 'Romania and the Republic of Moldova: The Partnership for the EU', coordinated by Andrei Stoian and Victor Vevera, was launched on Thursday by Club Romania Publishing at the 'Carol I' Central University Library, in the presence of several of the contributors. The book brings togethe
President Dan to host meeting of Forum of Young Romanians Abroad
The Forum of Young Romanians Abroad (FTRP), now in its sixth edition, opens its works on Friday at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, in the presence of President Nicusor Dan. Over 150 young people from Romania and the diaspora will participate, for six days, in activities dedicated to identifying concrete solutions to the problems that concern them. The event
Royal Charity Concert to take place at Romanian Athenaeum on Sunday
The traditional Royal Charity Concert will take place at the Romanian Athenaeum on Sunday, in the presence of the Royal Family of Romania. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, the 17th edition of the gala, organised by the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, will bring together internationally renowned musicians, classical music enthus
Romania aims to contribute to Ukraine's reconstruction as a long-term partner, says Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare
Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at almost 600 billion US dollars over the next decade, and Romania wants to contribute as a long-term partner through projects that create value on both sides of the border, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said on Thursday at an event dedicated to the reconstruction of the neighbouring country. &#
FinMin Nazare:We must create best real instruments to internationalise Romanian business in Ukraine and elsewhere
Romania must create best possibly real instruments to internationalise Romanian business in Ukraine and elsewhere, and the authorities must be more ambitious in this demarch, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare told an event dedicated to the neighouring country's reconstruction. 'Beyond offering advice, I believe we need to take a much more conscientious