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Europolis

The Development and Consultancy Group ‘Europolis’ has been established in 2008 in Chisinau/Moldova, specialized in providing consultancy services in management and engineering for local and central public authorities, private firms and international development agencies.
About Us


The Group’s mission is to support the urban and rural communities to become more attractive for people and more competitive for businesses, thus contributing to the acceleration of the development and modernization of the country as a whole.

The Group is specialized mostly in local and regional development related fields, the main covered sectors being the following:

  • Entrepreneurial education

  • Private sector development

  • Local and regional strategic planning

  • Urban planning and technical design

  • Land management and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

  • Local Economic Developmen

  • Water and sanitation

  • Waste management

  • Inter-municipal cooperation

  • Public-private partnerships

  • Capital investment facilitation


  • Project management and logistical support

The Group is investing massively in bringing together bright and visionary people committed to work collectively in delivering high-quality and tailor-made consultancy products, as per the specific request of our customers:

  • Consultancy in supporting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education

  • Consultancy for elaboration of regional and local strategies, urban plans and spatial development documents

  • Consultancy for elaboration of Feasibility Studies, market researches and investment appraisals

  • Consultancy for elaboration and applying of GIS applications for urban development

  • Consultancy and technical assistance for development and modernization of local waste management services

  • Consultancy and technical assistance for development and modernization of water supply and sanitation services

  • Consultancy and technical assistance for capacity building and reorganization of public institutions and bodies

  • Consultancy and technical assistance for conceptualization and implementation of Public-Partnership schemes

Consultancy and technical assistance for conceptualization and implementation of local economic development initiatives, inclusively value chain & cluster promotion.

Our Team

  • Ghenadie Ivașcenco
    Executive Director
    Local and Regional Development Consultant
    Master in Local Development (Trento University, Italy) and Economics (Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova). Certified project manager (APM, London, UK), Certified Expert in Local Economic Development (IHS/Erasmus University, Rotterdam/Netherlands and ‘Mesopartner’, Berlin/Germany). Over 20 years of progressive experience related to local and regional development, working with various international organizations, inclusively UNDP, SDC, USAID, EBRD, GIZ, EU ad UN-HABITAT. Coordinated the elaboration of over 100 local, regional and national policy papers.
    Author of the Guidelines on Local Economic Development, Guidelines on Investment Promotion for Local Governments, and co-author of the Guidelines on Inter-Municipal Cooperation and Cross-Border Cooperation for the Republic of Moldova.
  • Nicolae Crăciun
    Programme Director
    Urban Planner and Geographic Information Systems Consultant
    Construction Engineer and Urban Planner. Advanced specialization in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies. For over 10 years has acted as the deputy director of the Department for Architecture, Urbanism and Land Management of Chisinau Mayoralty. Over 10 years of practical experience in working within technical assistance and development projects, financed by USAID, UNDP, SiDA and Norwegian Mapping Authority.
    Coordinated the implementation of the pilot E-Urbanism project in Moldova. Acted as the chairperson of the Strategic Committee of Urban Development of Chisinau Municipality and coordinated the process of the city General Urban Plan elaboration, as well as Spatial Development Strategy for Chisinau municipality. Coordinated the elaboration of the GIS portal of the Republic of Moldova (moldova-map.md) and Kyrgyzstan (kyrgyzmap.kg). Coordinator of the USAID-sponsored initiative for development of the national GIS platform for local public authorities in the Republic of Moldova (GIS-Local).
  • Nicolae Țarălungă
    Urban Planner
    Architect and urban planner graduate of the University of Architecture and Urban Planning ‘Ion Mincu’ in Bucharest. Master in urban management at IHS/Erasmus University in Rotterdam. PhD in urban planning at the University of Architecture and Urban Planning Ion Mincu in Bucharest. Over 30 years of experience in urban and regional planning. He acted as consultant for a variety of international projects in Romania, funded by the World Bank, EU, USAID, DFID, GTZ, MATRA, and within projects developed in other countries (Moldova, Serbia, Albania, Georgia and South Africa) funded by UNDP, World Bank, SNV and SDC. The fields of expertise include strategic planning, decentralization, institutional development, and public consultation, land management, European projects management etc.
  • Veaceslav Guțuțui
    Local and Regional Development Consultant
    PhD studies in Economics (Free International University of Moldova). Degree in economics, Finance specialty (Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova). Master in Public Administration ( Academy of Public Administration in Moldova). Post graduate studies in urban development (IHS/Erasmus University, Rotterdam/ Netherlands).
    Acted as the member (appointed by the Parliament) of the National Competition Council (2013-2018), deputy minister of regional development and construction of the Republic of Moldova (2010-2013) and chief of the economic department of Chisinau County Council (2002-2003).
    Over 10 years of progressive experience in implementation of a wide range of local and regional development projects, financed by USAID, UNDP, EU, SDC, GIZ and Soros Foundation in Moldova.
  • Ion Beschieru
    Decentralization and Local Governance Consultant
    Master in public law (Free International University of Moldova). Over 10 years of consultancy experience in decentralization and local governance related areas. Acted as the legal advisor to the Congress of Local Public Authorities from Moldova. Advanced experience in implementation of technical assistance projects in promoting decentralization, local public administration reform and modernization of public services in Moldova, financed by GIZ, UNDP, USAID, SDC and other donors. Within the period of 2015-2017 coordinated the regional program of the Council of Europe to support the decentralization and local governance reforms in Eastern Partnership countries (Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan). Since 2013 is member of the Group of Independent Experts (GIE) on the European Charter of Local Self-Government. One of the key-experts in Eastern Partnership area in the field of inter-municipal cooperation. Is the co-author of the concept of local public administration reform in Moldova, (elaborated in 2018 by a consortium of international organizations at the request of the Government of Moldova).
  • Vladislav Cantea
    Solid Waste Management Consultant
    Master of Professional Studies in Natural Resources, Environmental Management (Cornell University, New York, USA). Master in Environmental Sciences and Policy (Central European University, Budapest, Hungary). Licensed in biology (State University of Moldova). Over 12 years of experience in waste management field, being mainly involved in solid waste collection logistics. Experience in consultancy services in developing and implementing integrated solid waste collection systems in Uganda, Tanzania, Georgia, Indonesia, Jordan, and Moldova. Experience in developing policy documents (e.g. strategies, public policy proposals, strategic/management plans, etc.) and feasibility studies related to waste and environmental management, conducted within the projects financed by EBRD, World Bank, UNDP, KfW, SDC, etc.
    Experience in using GIS technologies for landfill site selection and organization of garbage collection service.
  • Vitalie Midari
    Water and Sanitation Consultant
    Licensed Engineer in the field of water and sanitation. Master in clean technologies and green energy (Technical University of Moldova. Certified construction supervisor.
    Acted as technical director of “Apa - Canal Chisinau” – the water supply and sanitation operator for the capital city of Moldova – Chisinau (2012-2016). Acted as deputy director the National Association of Water and sanitation service suppliers from the Republic of Moldova - Association ”Moldova Apă-Canal”/AMAC (2017-2019).
    Acted as the key-coordinator in the process of negotiation and initiation of a 60 M eur project for the modernization of the water and sanitation supply system in Chisinau Municipality (EBRD and EIB).
  • Lilian Danilov
    Strategic Planning and Community Mobilization Consultant
    PhD Studies in Anthropology (Academy of Sciences of Moldova). Master in Sociology (University of Criminology of Moldova).
    Over 10 years of progressive professional experience in local and regional development within a wide range of technical assistance projects implemented by EU, UNDP, GIZ and USAID.
    Coordinated the regional ‘Mayors for Economic Growth’ EU Initiative in Moldova (2017-2020). Guided the local economic development planning in 46 rural and urban municipalities.
    In 2011-2014 acted as chief strategist within the Central Regional Development Agency of the Republic of Moldova.
  • Andrei Zbancă
    Senior Agribusiness Expert and Advisor
    PhD in Economics and a Master’s degree in Horticultural Studies from the State Agrarian University of Moldova, Dr. Andrei Zbanca has over 25 years of experience in agribusiness development, agricultural consultancy, and academic instruction. Dr. Zbanca has collaborated with leading international organizations, including USAID, UNDP, IFAD, GIZ, FAO, IFAD and ADA, contributing to over 200 feasibility studies, value chain analyses, business plans and investment assessments. His expertise lies in agri-food value chain development, cluster promotion, and fostering sustainable rural growth. As an academic, he is delivering courses in farm management, entrepreneurship, and project planning, while publishing extensively in his field. His portfolio includes 109 works, comprising manuals, scientific articles, and practical guides aimed at advancing agricultural practices. Fluent in Romanian, Russian, and English, Dr. Zbanca combines deep technical knowledge with hands-on experience, making him a key contributor to the success of our team and the broader agribusiness sector.
Our Experience
The Group’s experience is represented by a wide-range of implemented sectorial and crosscutting consultancy interventions, the most important being the following:

Local and regional strategic planning
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of over 100 local and regional socio-economic development strategies
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of the National Strategy for Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova 2021-2027 (2020)
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of the National Programme on Cities – Growth Poles in Moldova 2021-2026 (2020)
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of the Housing Management Reform Concept for Chisinau Municipality (2010)
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of the Institutional Reform Concept for Chisinau Mayoralty (2010)
Local Economic Development
  • Elaboration of the MACRO-Study on substitution piloting the cluster approach for regional development in Moldova
  • Coordination the process of substantiation, institutionalization and development of 8 pilot clusters in the Republic of Moldova.
  • Technical assistance for over 50 local authorities in designing and implementing local economic development policy papers
  • Elaboration of Local Investment Offers for over 20 municipalities
  • Elaboration of the practical Guidelines on Local Economic Development for Local Public Authorities (2019)
  • Elaboration of the practical Guidelines on Investment Promotion for Local Governments (2021)
  • Adaptation of PACA (Participatory Appraisal for Competitive Advantage) methodology for the Republic of Moldova
  • Investment potential assessment and competitive advantage identification for Free Economic Zones and Industrial Parks from Cahul/Crihana, Stefan Voda, Cimislia, Telenesti and Ceadir-Lunga municipalities.
  • Technical assistance for conceptualization and initiation of the Industrial Park in Telenesti municipality.
Land Management and Geographic Information Systems technologies
  • Technical assistance for designing and implementation of the GIS portal of the Republic Moldova (www. moldova-map.md)
  • Technical assistance for designing and implementation of the GIS portal of Kyrgyzstan (www.kyrgyzmap.kg)
  • Technical assistance for the designing and implementation of the E-Urbanism platform for Chisinau Municipality (e-urbanism.md)
  • Elaboration of the digital solution for land management system for Chisinau Municipality
  • Technical assistance for designing and implementation of the GIS system for green spaces management in Chisinau Municipality
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of Land Management Concept for Chisinau Municipality
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of the value assessment system for public property land in Chisinau municipality
  • Technical assistance for the implementation of land payments in Chisinau municipality (for public land plots adjacent to private constructions).


Spatial planning and designing of master plans
  • Elaboration of the General Urban Plan for Edinet Municipality
  • Elaboration of Regional Spatial Development Plan for Ungheni District

Water supply and sanitation
  • Technical assistance for the elaborate of Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy for the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia.
  • Technical assistance for the elaborate of Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy for Calarasi District of Moldova.
  • Technical assistance for the elaborate of Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy for Ungheni District of Moldova.
  • Elaboration of institutional development plans (aiming the regionalization of activities) for water supply and sanitation operators from Ungheni and Calarasi cities.

Inter-Municipal Cooperation
  • Elaboration of the Inter-Municipal Cooperation Guidelines for the Republic of Moldova.
  • Technical assistance for the designing and implementation of 10 pilot projects on inter-municipal cooperation for joint local service provision and infrastructure development.

Waste Management
  • Technical assistance for organization of micro-regional waste management operators in Congaz and Peresecina communities.
  • Technical assistance for the elaboration of 3 Feasibility Studies on waste management in the Republic of Moldova.
Collaboration Portfolio
În ultimii ani, ”clusterele” au devenit un cuvânt la modă în peisajul economic al Republicii Moldova – mai ales în discursuri și comunicate, căci în dezbateri mai rar. Părem să fim campioni la împrumuturi rapide de modele occidentale, însă aplicarea lor în terenul nostru mioritic rămâne o artă complicată, uneori chiar mai riscantă decât o mămăligă lăsată nesupravegheată pe foc. Lecțiile tranziției ne-au învățat (sau cel puțin așa ne place să credem) că un concept economic de import, oricât de minunat ar arăta într-o altă țară, poate provoca dezamăgiri dacă nu este adaptat atent și cu sens la specificul local. De-a lungul timpului, numeroase practici considerate ”de succes” în alte state au fost importate în Republica Moldova, dar impactul lor a adus nu de puține ori la rezultate modeste sau chiar efecte negative – inclusiv resentimente profunde și dezamăgire. Astăzi, clusterizarea stârnește entuziasm în rândul unora, fiind considerată aproape o ”formulă magică” pentru relansarea economiilor regionale. Însă, pe de altă parte, există și sceptici care o văd doar ca un alt val de modă, o ispită mai mult pentru atragerea unor granturi, decât pentru a aduce vreo schimbare reală și durabilă în economie...

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In recent years, "clusters" have become a buzzword in Moldova's economic circles—widely celebrated in speeches and press releases, though rarely the subject of deep, meaningful debate. We’ve become pros at borrowing Western models at lightning speed, but implementing them on home turf? That’s another story—often as tricky (and risky) as leaving polenta unattended on the stove. The lessons of our transition period have taught us—or so we like to think—that just because an economic concept shines abroad doesn’t mean it will work wonders here. If not carefully tailored to our local context, such imports can bring more frustration than success. Over the years, Moldova has tried adopting numerous “proven” practices from elsewhere. The results? Frequently underwhelming, occasionally disastrous, and always a source of mounting disillusionment. Now, clustering has stepped into the spotlight, hailed by some as an economic “magic wand” to revitalize regional economies. But not everyone’s convinced. For skeptics, clustering feels more like a fleeting trend—a clever excuse to reel in grants rather than a genuine pathway to long-term change. It’s like splurging on a designer suit that looks great on the rack but doesn’t quite fit when you try it on...

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Ce legătura are Tommy Hilfiger cu clusterele moldovenești?
Fiind un fan al brandului ”Tommy Hilfiger”, am fost mereu fascinat de povestea acestui antreprenor care, fără studii superioare, repetent la școală, bolnav de mic de dyslexie, pornind de la zero dintr-un sat american ordinar, a reușit să construiască un imperiu global de miliarde. Astfel, într-un moment de ”blocaj conceptual” în domeniul meu profesional (dezvoltarea economică regională prin clusterizare în Moldova), am simțit nevoia să mă distanțez puțin de la subiectul clusterelor și să-mi umplu mintea cu ceva diferit, mai ușor și mai relaxant. Așa că am început să citesc memoriile lui Tommy Hilfiger, "Visătorul American" (American Dreamer), o carte care de mult timp era în lista mea "to do", dar mereu am găsit scuze să nu o fac. În timp ce parcurgeam memoriile lui Tommy, căutam în special răspunsuri la o întrebare care mă măcina de mult timp: de unde dracul își găsea acest autodidact inspirația, reușind să creeze regulat haine care se vindeau în cantități uriașe și atrăgeau consumatori din toate colțurile lumii...

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Local Economic Development (LED) is gaining increasing popularity worldwide, especially in developing countries. However, while many resources exist on how to plan and implement LED (elaborated with the support of various international organizations), there remains a shortage of resources that explain LED's fundamentals. This makes it challenging for many stakeholders engaged in LED to jump directly into the planning or implementation phase, without having a solid understanding of basic LED fundamentals. To address this gap, this Basic Guide to Local Economic Development aims to provide a concise and practical introduction to LED. Based on over 20 years of grassroots experience in the field and supporting LED stakeholders in over 100 municipalities, this guide has undergone rigorous testing and improvement to ensure that it serves as a practical entry point for newcomers to LED and as a foundation for advancing knowledge and understanding of LED beyond the basics. Our goal is to make LED more accessible and understandable to everyone interested in local economic development, regardless of their background or education in the field. The guide is intended for development facilitators, mayors, local public servants, politicians, businesspeople, civil society leaders, students, and anyone interested in economic development at the local level. This Basic Guide to Local Economic Development is a helpful resource that will contribute to your better understanding of this critical area of development.


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Publications
Municipal Investment Offer for Ceadir-Lunga (EN)
Municipal Investment Offer for Ceadir-Lunga (RU)
Municipal Investment Offer for Cimislia (EN)
Municipal Investment Offer for Cimislia (RO)
Municipal Investment Offer for Donduseni (EN)
Municipal Investment Offer for Donduseni (RO)
Municipal Investment Offer for Peresecina (EN)
Municipal Investment Offer for Peresecina (RO)
Municipal Investment Offer for Stefan Voda (EN)
Municipal Investment Offer for Stefan Voda (RO)
Municipal Investment Offer for Telenesti (EN)
Municipal Investment Offer for Telenesti (RO)
Contacts
(+373) 698 35 354
ghenadie.ivascenco@gmail.com
#7-173, Bogdan Voievod Str., Chisinau Municipality, Republic of Moldova
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