The report highlights that while Romania possesses one of the most robust public policy foundations for artificial intelligence in the region, it also exhibits a significant gap between strategic planning and actual commercial adoption.
The index, which measures strategic AI readiness across 11 CEE countries, was launched on 8 June 2026 by the AI Chamber in partnership with The Recursive Media and with the support of European Cloud.
The findings show that despite Romania having the fastest internet infrastructure in the CEE region, fewer than one in 20 Romanian companies currently use advanced AI solutions.
Strong strategic foundations and regional advantages
Romania benefits from a dedicated national AI strategy adopted in 2024 and valid until 2027, which explicitly aligns AI development with human rights principles and trustworthy technology frameworks. This represents one of the most well-founded approaches in the region from a values and governance perspective.
Additionally, Romania achieved AI Factory status within the EuroHPC initiative, securing access to European high-performance computing infrastructure. The national HPC subsidy program includes a call specifically dedicated to SMEs and startups, making it one of the few regional initiatives designed for emerging market players rather than solely for established research institutions. Romania also leads the region in internet speed.
The adoption gap in the business sector
The index indicates that these foundational advantages have not yet translated into large-scale commercial activity. The adoption rate of advanced AI solutions in the business environment stands at just 5.21%, which is among the lowest in the region.
With a score of 41.1 in the “Environment” category, Romania positions itself 7th overall. The discrepancy between high-performing infrastructure and the maturity of implementation mechanisms represents the primary tension identified in the country profile.
The report notes clear directions for future intervention, including:
The creation of a dedicated regulatory sandbox for AI.
Development of clearer cybersecurity guidelines for AI systems.
Strengthening public procurement mechanisms for AI-based technologies.
Concurrently, public digital services for citizens and businesses rank at the bottom of the index, and the number of AI specialists relative to the total population is the lowest in the entire analysed dataset.
“The encouraging part is that Romania has invested heavily in the strategic layer: public policies, infrastructure, and European partnerships. The Romanian Hub for Artificial Intelligence (HRIA) will mobilise over EUR 64 million between 2025 and 2029, representing one of the most substantial public investments in AI in the region. The adoption gap is real, but there is also significant momentum to close it,” said Ana Marija Kostanic, editor-in-chief of The Recursive Media.
The report suggests these vulnerabilities are not permanent and indicate where public policy interventions and investments can achieve the highest impact. For early market entrants, the combination of a solid policy framework, EU-supported infrastructure, and low competition presents a notable business opportunity.
Governance separates regional leaders
According to the independent Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index 2025, Central and Eastern Europe already exceeds the global average in terms of governance. However, the CEE AI Index 2026 provides additional context: while almost all countries in the region now possess national AI strategies, only a few have built the institutional capacity required for effective implementation.
Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania lead the “Environment” category with scores of 73, 65, and 64 respectively, reflecting superior policy coordination, mature digital infrastructure, and institutional continuity. Conversely, Bulgaria and Croatia score lowest with 29 and 27, demonstrating how gaps in institutional maturity directly impact AI readiness.
While European computing infrastructure programmes are gradually narrowing the technological divide, access to hardware is no longer the main differentiator. Across the region, institutional environment scores frequently outpace available resource scores, meaning infrastructure exists but the ecosystems to utilise it are still forming. Governance capacity, talent availability, investment culture, and the ability to turn strategy into concrete outcomes remain the deciding factors. This is reflected in the wide scoring gap between Estonia (59) and Croatia (32).
The impact of the AI Act on regional divergence
Data from the report suggests that the European AI Act could become a competitive advantage for countries that already possess mature institutions and efficient implementation mechanisms. Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic are well-positioned to convert regulatory readiness into corporate trust and investment attractiveness, particularly for organizations seeking compliant environments for AI deployment.
For states still developing core institutional capacities, the challenge will be twofold: accelerating local ecosystem growth while adapting to an increasingly complex European regulatory framework.
The index emphasizes that while CEE is a single geographical region, it does not share a single narrative. No individual country dominates all three analysed dimensions, revealing a diverse set of competitive advantages: Estonia and Slovenia stand out for research intensity and STEM capacity; Lithuania is accelerating rapidly in development; and Poland demonstrates significant scaling capacity.
Hungary has adopted a national strategy for 2025 to 2030 and appointed a government commissioner dedicated to AI, leaving implementation as its next major milestone. Latvia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Croatia also possess relevant assets ranging from experimental infrastructure and fiscal incentives to technical capacity and educational programmes.
“The countries at the top of the ranking are already operating at AI adoption levels comparable or even superior to those in Western Europe and benefit from governance frameworks and talent conditions that compare favourably with much larger economies. However, investment flows do not yet reflect this reality. For those who will allocate resources and capital in the AI field in Europe in the coming years, the gap between what the data shows and what the market has done so far represents the real opportunity,” said Tomasz Snażyk.
Mark Boris Andrijanič added: “Central and Eastern Europe hosts some of the strongest AI talent communities in Europe, but the investment gap compared to the rest of the continent remains significant, both in public and private funding. Estonia, Lithuania, and Slovenia lead the CEE AI Index ranking, outperforming countries many times larger in terms of digital governance, talent, and infrastructure. However, the region has only recently begun to be included in conversations where major European decisions regarding AI investments are made. This ranking brings both the arguments and the urgency that have been missing from these discussions until now.”