Founder of MISGRUP, Emil IUGAN, at FERM 2025: ‘We are not a poor country. We are just poor managers of our resources’
100 economic opportunities for the development of the Moldova Region on the A7 Highway route
REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Mountain Economy – Sustainable Development and Valorization of Local Resources
Speaker:
Emil Iugan – Founder of MISGRUP, representative of the Romanian Foresters Association
Topic of the presentation:
“Intelligent and Sustainable Valorization of Local Resources in the Mountain Economy: from Circular Bioeconomy to Community Development Models”
Present at this year’s edition of the Regional Economic Forum Moldova (FERM), held from July 9–13 in Vatra Dornei, Emil Iugan, founder of MISGRUP and representative of the Romanian Foresters Association (ASFOR), delivered a substantial presentation within Panel 9 – Mountain Economy: Sustainable Development and Valorization of Local Resources.
With a vision based on decades of experience in forestry and the local economy of mountain areas, Iugan advocated for a paradigm shift: from perceived poverty to intelligent management of native natural resources.
From Integrated Local Development to Circular Bioeconomy
“We started in 2014 with an integrated local development system based on local resources, within a unified concept. Today, we are already talking about a European concept – the circular bioeconomy,” explained Emil Iugan, presenting a series of concrete projects through which this vision is implemented in practice.
The first project focuses on valorizing Turcana sheep wool, a local resource often overlooked or superficially processed in other regions of the country.
“In Vâlcea, for example, only superior wool is used for lanolin extraction, while Turcana wool is not utilized. We are working on transforming this wool into innovative construction products – such as insulating panels or composite boards – thus contributing to sustainability and the local economy”
Practical Education and Traditional Constructions with Local Materials
Another project presented by Iugan refers to creating a sheepfold and a pedagogical farm, aimed at providing students with authentic hands-on experience in mountain agriculture. In parallel, work is being done on a catalog of traditional constructions – sheep pens, haylofts, farms – made from local materials, reflecting cultural values and the efficiency of vernacular architecture.
“It is a reconnection to our values, but also a form of economic resilience for mountain villages”
An Energy Model with Real Impact: Renewable Energy and Carbon Footprint Reduction
Perhaps the most ambitious project presented by Emil Iugan involves implementing a local integrated green energy system in collaboration with authorities.
“We are working with the City Hall on a biomass cogeneration project. We utilize residues from forestry operations, pasture, and forest clearing. With the thermal energy produced, we heat 280 homes and all public institutions, while the remaining homes will be heated with locally produced pellets. This will reduce firewood consumption from 13,500 m³ per year to under 3,000 m³”
According to Iugan, this energy transition allows for carbon certificate issuance due to the reduced footprint, and the revenues generated will be used to subsidize heating systems for households. It is a virtuous circle of sustainable development, fueled by local resources and applied intelligence.
Lessons from the Past: “We Are Not a Poor Country, We Are Just Poorly Managed”
Iugan’s speech also included a profound historical reflection on how natural resources were well managed in the past, generating development and education. He recalled the model of the border communities in the Năsăud area – “which received forests and pastures as a reward for defending the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s borders” – and how these resources funded schools, scholarships, and generations of academics.
“In a single generation, the Năsăud region produced 35 academics. Why? Because the two resources – forest and pasture – were well managed”, emphasized Iugan, also offering a symbolic donation: four book-documents to the Suceava Forestry Directorate about the history of forest exploitation in Transylvania.
Education, Tourism, Local Identity
The presentation concluded with a forward-looking perspective and an invitation to replicate best practices. Emil Iugan spoke about six pilot projects implemented in the Oradea area, in mountain communities and protected areas: educational camps, ecotourism centers, bike trails, exhibition halls, and infrastructure for recreation and civic and environmental education.
“These projects are already completed; I invite you to follow them. They are models that can be extended to Moldova”
Conclusion
The conclusion of Emil Iugan’s presentation was more than a call to action – it was a manifesto for the economic dignity of mountain areas, historically bastions of education, community economy, and prudent resource management. His message reiterated the belief that sustainable development does not only mean attracting external funds or applying imported models, but primarily rediscovering and revalorizing local resources and traditions, managed with skill, respect, and vision.
In a world where energy crises, climate change, and rural depopulation create major imbalances, the model proposed by Emil Iugan – based on circular bioeconomy, practical education, renewable energy, and local heritage – becomes a concrete and replicable solution. It is a model that combines past and future, tradition and innovation, for the benefit of both communities and nature alike.
