--- title: "Moldova lawmakers seek safeguards for Hi-Tech Park " url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/88015/moldova-lawmakers-seek-safeguards-for-hi-tech-park published: 2026-10-23T10:49:00Z language: en author: "Dumitru Petruleac" section: "Economic" source: radiomoldova.md --- # Moldova lawmakers seek safeguards for Hi-Tech Park > Moldovan lawmakers are reviewing safeguards for the planned Moldova Hi-Tech Park in Stăuceni, including a ban on residential buildings and stricter compliance with European Union state aid rules. ![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/10918239-bfc2-4ea4-89bd-5c5cf78db6fd.jpg) Moldovan lawmakers are reviewing safeguards for the planned Moldova Hi-Tech Park in Stăuceni, including a ban on residential buildings and stricter compliance with European Union state aid rules. **Lawmakers seek to prevent residential development** The Moldova Hi-Tech Park is expected to operate for 50 years, up from the initially proposed 30, while its roughly 50-hectare site in Stăuceni would be reserved for technology, research and education facilities rather than permanent housing. The proposals were discussed at public consultations in parliament on Friday, October 23. The Competition Council has requested clarification on support measures for the park to ensure compliance with European Union state aid rules. Lawmakers and responsible authorities can submit proposals until October 27, before the draft is reviewed by the relevant parliamentary committee. One of the main concerns is ensuring that public land allocated to the technology and education project cannot later be converted into residential developments. Ion Chicu, an MP from the Alternative parliamentary faction, called for explicit legal safeguards against changes in the designated use of buildings, warning that publicly owned land allocated for institutional purposes could otherwise become valuable residential property over time. *“We do not want to leave a window open for future schemes,”* Chicu said, arguing that the legislation should eliminate the possibility of residential construction on the site. He noted that the 50-hectare plot represents about 10% of Stăuceni's built-up area and urged lawmakers to prevent any future change in the designated use of buildings that could circumvent the proposed restrictions. Vasile Grădinaru, an MP from the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), said the proposal to prohibit residential buildings had already been accepted in discussions with the bill's authors. *“We will explicitly state that residential buildings are not permitted, while temporary accommodation facilities will remain allowed. We could also add a provision expressly prohibiting any change in a building's designated use,”* Grădinaru said. Representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development supported the introduction of such a provision. **Competition Council flags state aid risks** Competition Council President Alina Cebotariov called for a general provision requiring all support measures for the creation and operation of the park to comply with the procedures and conditions established under Moldova's state aid legislation. These would include prior notification and individual authorisation of the measures, where required. The council also wants a clearer assessment of how any economic advantage granted to the park's administrator would be passed on to companies operating there. The proposed arrangement would allow the administrator to receive public land under *superficies* rights, a legal mechanism that permits construction and use of land without transferring ownership of the land itself. Cebotariov said the terms governing the transfer of land and the fees charged to resident companies would be important in determining whether the arrangement constitutes state aid and whether it complies with applicable rules. Another concern is the duration of the land-use rights. The draft would extend the park's operating period from 30 to 50 years, with the possibility of granting superficies rights over public land for the same period. According to Cebotariov, the European practices reviewed by the council had not identified examples of state aid granted for periods exceeding 10 years, although extensions may be possible under certain conditions. Marcel Spatari, chairman of parliament's Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance, said the provisions declaring the construction and development works to be of public utility did not, in themselves, raise state aid concerns. However, he said the authorities needed to identify potential legal risks before the bill was finalised, to prevent the park's administrator or its resident companies from being required to repay aid later found incompatible with European rules. *“We need to anticipate the risks and, if necessary, find solutions between the two readings. We must avoid a situation in which the managing company or its residents are required to repay state aid,”* Spatari said. **Technology campus targets investment and research** Doina Nistor, chair of the Moldova HiTech Park Board of Directors, said the project represents a new organisational model for the country and that clear legislation and regulations were needed before the administration could engage effectively with investors. *“We are now at the initial stage of development: we have the legislative and regulatory framework, we are transferring the land and setting up the administration. We cannot talk to investors without clarity,”* Nistor said. The proposed campus is designed to bring together technology companies, laboratories, research facilities, university campuses and infrastructure for developing and testing new technologies. Access infrastructure is also planned, including the reconstruction of the R6 road junction and the development of Bucovina Boulevard. Preparation of the zonal urban plan is scheduled to begin in spring 2027. The project also includes a feasibility study, supported by the Swedish government, for a data centre to be developed in cooperation with the Information Technology and Cyber Security Service (STISC). Nistor said public utility status would help facilitate infrastructure needed for such facilities, including electricity supplies from two different directions. The feasibility study is expected to determine the data centre's location within the park, with results anticipated by December or January. **Public ownership and projected economic impact** The Moldova Hi-Tech Park is planned for Stăuceni, near Chișinău. According to estimates presented by the authorities, it could generate more than 21,000 jobs and attract over €200 million in investment. The state holds a 55% stake through the Public Property Agency. Chișinău Municipality and Stăuceni each hold 15%, while the Technical University of Moldova and the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy each hold 7.5%. The proposed legislation will undergo further parliamentary examination before a second-reading vote. Authorities and MPs have until October 27 to submit amendments and other proposals for consideration by the relevant committee. 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