DIGITALIZATION OF THE ROMANIAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPETITIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY

t This article aims to examine how the digitalization of the Romanian business environment generates concrete opportunities for enhancing competitiveness and advancing towards sustainable development models. Building on the developments captured in European strategic documents on the Digital Decade 2030 and in recent reports on the digitalization of Romanian SMEs, the paper explores the relationship between investment in digital technologies, productivity, innovative capacity and performance on domestic and international markets. In this sense, digitalization is approached not merely as an isolated technological endeavour, but as a strategic process that reshapes business models, value chains and firms’ ability to adapt to a continuously changing economic environment. The article also analyses the interdependencies between digitalization and the objectives of the green transition, considering both the potential of digital technologies to optimise resource consumption, reduce environmental impact and support sustainability reporting, and the risks associated with the growing digital footprint. The structure of the paper includes a conceptual introduction, a section devoted to the main trends in the digitalization of the Romanian business environment, an analysis of the mechanisms through which digitalization contributes to competitiveness, as well as a section focused on the role of digital transformation in supporting economic and environmental sustainability. The approach is analytical and integrative, combining statistical data and empirical research findings with public policy perspectives and managerial implications. The conclusions highlight that digitalization, if supported through investment in skills, infrastructure and governance, can become an essential vector for positioning the Romanian business environment on a competitive and sustainable trajectory, reducing gaps vis-à-vis the European Union average and strengthening firms’ resilience in the face of future shocks.