Raluca Cristina Volintiru

Resita Municipality, a local public authority, is involved in all the relevant development projects of the municipality. Reșița (with approximately 73280 inhabitants), residence of Caraș-Severin county, is conveniently located in Western Romania, in less than standard daily driving distance to 3 European capitals: Vienna (6h 30 min), Budapest (4h) and Belgrade (3h). The nearest airport is Traian Vuia International Airport, located in Timișoara. Regular flights connect to France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Also, convenient 1h flights are available to Bucharest while other internal routes ensure connections to Iași and Cluj-Napoca. Reșița is less than 1h away from access to A1 Highway (via Lugoj), part of the Trans-European TEN-T Core Network Corridor connecting Romania to Central and Western Europe. Rail connectivity is ensured through the TEN-T Core Network Corridor: Rhine – Danube, easily accessible via the 1h electrified railway segment Reşiţa – Caransebeş. 3 Danube ports are also within easy reach from Reșița to Drobeta Turnu Severin (156 km), Orșova (131 km) and Moldova Veche (117 km).Most used border crossings for both passenger and freight transit are Nădlac and Nădlac II towards Hungary and Moravița and Porțile de Fier I towards Serbia. Over the past 250 years, Reșița and its surroundings have flourished, over time, in industry and mining, its urban development being closely linked to different generations of colonists / expats from different ethnic groups involved in the gradual industrial progress of the region. Industrial heritage and ethnic diversity are considered important elements of pride, associated with the city's identity. Reșița is also perceived as the entry point and capital of Mountainous Banat, being bordered by mountains which expand south of its fringes. Outdoor activities have been and are still an important component of Reșița’s lifestyle, as the area is rich in natural attractions (natural reserves, lakes, gorges, cascades). The outskirts of Resita are also the place-to-go for residents of Timișoara, which flock to lakeside terraces, ski slopes and festivals throughout the year. Reșița retains a strong industrial profile having amongst its main employers long established industrial agents such as UCM Reșița (machine construction factory) or TMK Reșița (steel factory). After having undergone industrial restructuring during the post-communist decades, Reșița is finding its own way to new businesses, while still retaining its core industrial profile. From food industry, to manufacturing and services, Reșița is nowhere short of business and entrepreneurship examples. City ​​growth, transformation and modernization is the priority of the current management. Modern transport, new bicycle lanes, bicycle share system via mobile app, energy efficient and modernised kindergartens, schools and high-schools, housing construction for disadvantaged communities and multicultural centres, should contribute to the vitality and comfort of the city's inhabitants, making Resita a better city to live and work in. Resita Municipality has been implementing within the last 8 years EU co-financed contracts with an overall value of 200 MEUR. In terms of international projects, Resita Municipality: \- implemented the project 'Restoration and revitalization of cultural heritage - "Pittner School" exhibition and event center', funded by SEE Grants 2014-2021, CALL 3 - Restoration and revitalization of historical monuments, with a total budget of 1.85 MEUR. \- was a partner in CINEMA - CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FOR NEW URBAN ECONOMIES IN THE DANUBE REGION, funded under the Danube Transnational Cooperation Programme and implemented within January 2020 - December 2022, led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Slovenia. The Municipality is committed to foster a friendly, competitive and inclusive business environment, and it takes an active role in supporting the private sector. The rise of tourism in the area was also considered vital for the city, in this sense several efforts were made. The Municipality acquired the old industrial cable way, aiming to totally transform the old cableway, the reconversion of the funicular is a project that means more than just intervention on an industrial heritage object. The strategy of recovering an object with an important identity for Resita aims to unite the central urban area with the natural landscape in its vicinity, through pedestrian and bicycle access to a spectacular and adrenaline-filled view from over 30 meters routes.