• Between May 26-28, Balvanyos Resort hosted the fifth edition of F&B Innovation Camp, the only bootcamp in Romania dedicated to innovation in the food industry.
The event, organized by the Hospitality Culture Institute, with the support of UniCredit Bank, brought together over 140 participants – entrepreneurs, investors, leaders from HoReCa, retail, tech, journalists, lawyers and consultants – in a joint effort to shape the sustainable and digitalized future of the hospitality industry.
- Over 140 professionals participated in the F&B Innovation Camp.
- The foodservice industry in Romania is estimated at EUR 7.3 billion.
- The HoReCa sector is targeted by 19 institutions with a control role.
The innovation scene: from emerging startups to established leaders
The bootcamp brought together founders of startups accepted into the F&B Business Accelerator program with some of the most respected industry professionals. Workshops and mentoring sessions focused on: scalability of local food products, adaptation to new consumer habits, digital transformation, ESG impact and employee challenges in the industry.
Among the startups graduating from the F&B Business Accelerator that participated in the bootcamp are: Luna Solai, Bio Cătina, Just Heat It, Mori de poftă – Colive de viață, Rural, Fruit Snack, Răstăuțe Maramureșene, Ferma Cobor, Cămara de la munte, Dulceria Alba.
Along with their founders, the event was attended by entrepreneurs, professionals and established investors from the industry, such as: Marta Pogroszewska, Managing Director of GAIL's Bakery, Dr Raed Sarhan, investor, Radu Timiș Jr., CEO CrisTim, Albert Davidoglu, CEO Macromex, Radu Savopol, co-founder of 5 to go or Roxana Maricuțu, representative of the government agency Invest Hong Kong.
"I feel at home in Romania. I am sure that the authenticity and quality of your food products will bring added value at the European level, provided that Romanian entrepreneurs set bold goals. I have discovered too much modesty for the quality of the products you develop," said Marta Pogroszewska, Managing Director of GAIL's Bakery, one of the most renowned artisan bakery chains in the UK, with over 130 locations.
Burnout in hospitality and the generational gap, key themes addressed for the first time
In one of the debates organized within the F&B Innovation Camp The topic of professional burnout in HoReCa was addressed for the first time on a large scale. Florin Maxim, founder of the Hospitality Culture Institute, drew attention to the continuous pressure that employees in restaurants, kitchens or delivery services are subjected to, in the absence of a real framework of psychological and organizational support.
At the same time, a major systemic problem was highlighted: the HoReCa sector is targeted by 19 institutions with a control role, 8 of which have the legal authority to suspend the activity of a unit directly. "We are the most controlled sector in the economy and, unfortunately, visits are not intended as opportunities for support, but for sanctions. This administrative pressure is reflected on entrepreneurs and employees and contributes to the general instability of the field."", said Florin Maxim.
Also during the bootcamp, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Psych. Laura Cismaru held the workshop "Generations and Labor Market", taking a lucid x-ray of the generational divide in organizations. The neurological, cultural and value differences between digital natives and previous generations were analyzed from a scientific perspective, with an appeal to empathy and intergenerational cooperation as solutions for a balanced organizational future.
Romania, the new food innovation hub in Eastern Europe
The event reconfirmed Romania's potential to become a regional leader in the foodservice industry. With a market estimated at 7,3 billion euros and a rapidly growing penetration of deliveries, but with a reduced frequency of restaurant outings, Romania is in the midst of a transformation. The experts' recommendations aimed at the transition to integrated business models, in which delivery, digitalization and sustainability become strategic pillars.
"Romania is at the point where, in the food segment, local brands are able to compete on an equal footing with international ones. The next step is to succeed in bringing these products to international markets, and this requires both entrepreneurial courage and a national strategy that provides support to local products ready for internationalization," said Radu Timiș Jr., CEO CrisTim.
F&B Innovation Camp 2025 was an event supported by UniCredit Bank, with the support of Bocado. Among the event's supporters are also: Balvanyos Resort, Metro Romania, Nespresso, Freya, Eisberg, Lactalis, Johnnie Walker, Coca-Cola HBC, Csikisor.
"We want this bootcamp to become a benchmark for Central and Eastern Europe in developing innovative solutions in food and hospitality. Romania has all the necessary ingredients: talent, ideas, ambition and an increasingly solidary community", concluded Florin Maxim, founder of the Hospitality Culture Institute.
Article source: Press Release
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