ROMANIA’S TRANSITION TOWARD THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY (2015-2025)

The paper analyzes Romania’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy over the period 2015-2025 (before and after the launch of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR)), using Eurostat data and a multiple regression model estimated in SPSS. It examines the relationships between research and development (R&D) investment, employment rates, and GDP per capita (PPS) growth. The results indicate the presence of real convergence in Europe yet show that in Romania progress remains dependent on labor market dynamics rather than innovation. The study concludes that investment in R&D and human capital is essential for strengthening the knowledge-based economy.