SteelcityZen Galați

18/03/2026

📍 On March 10th, the Galați Municipality hosted a new event in the framework of SteelCityZen project!
🔎 The highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the Status Quo Analysis of the local labor market, developed in collaboration with Thecon.
👥 The event brought together 25 local stakeholders, creating an active space for dialogue and exchange of ideas.
🎤 Presentations delivered by Project Manager Cristi Marian OCHIU and THECON representative Marius GERU highlighted:
✔️ project objectives
✔️ the current labor market context
✔️ best practice examples
✔️ directions for action and development opportunities
💬 Discussions were dynamic and solution-oriented, with participants exploring how these ideas can be adapted and implemented at the local level.
🤝 The strong interest in continuing collaboration and building on project results confirms the relevance of our approach.
✅ A successful event, marked by active participation, valuable dialogue, and openness towards action!

02/03/2026

📢 March 2026 Update: What Recent Local News Means for Steelworkers in Galați

Recently, local newspapers have highlighted ongoing challenges in Galați’s industrial sector — news that directly affects workers and families connected to the steel industry.

🔹 The situation at Liberty Galați continues to create uncertainty for thousands of employees, many of whom have been in technical unemployment or facing delayed salary payments. Public protests this month reflect the deep concern within the community.

🔹 At the same time, discussions about potential investors and restructuring in the steel sector have reopened conversations about the future of former ArcelorMittal operations in Galați and the possibility of industrial recovery.

🔹 The impact is not limited to steel. In February, hundreds of workers from Damen Shipyards Galați also entered technical unemployment, showing that industrial transition is affecting multiple sectors locally.

What does this mean for unemployed or discharged workers?

✔ Industrial transformation is difficult — but it can also open new pathways.
✔ Diversification of the local economy is no longer optional; it is necessary.
✔ Reskilling and upskilling are becoming key tools for long-term stability.

Through SteelCityZen project, funded by Interreg Europe, the Municipality of Galați is working with European partners to improve local policies that support:

🔹 Workforce transition
🔹 Access to new skills and training
🔹 Stronger cooperation between industry, public authorities and education providers
🔹 More resilient local labour markets

💬 We invite affected workers and community members to join the conversation:

What kind of training would help you most right now?

Which sectors do you believe could offer real opportunities in Galați’s future?

Your voice matters. Industrial change should not leave people behind — it should create new chances for growth.

13/02/2026

📢 Vocea gălățenilor contează! Spune-ți părerea despre piața muncii și poți câștiga 500 lei!

Piața muncii din Galați trece printr-o perioadă de schimbări accelerate. Tranziția verde și digitală, lipsa forței de muncă în anumite domenii și nevoia de adaptare a competențelor la noile cerințe economice sunt doar câteva dintre provocările actuale.

Acum ai ocazia să contribui direct la conturarea viitorului pieței muncii locale!

🔎 A fost lansat un chestionar dedicat analizei pieței muncii din Galați, care își propune să ofere o imagine reală și actuală asupra situației din oraș. Sunt invitați să participe:
✔ angajați
✔ angajatori
✔ studenți
✔ furnizori de formare
✔ persoane aflate în căutarea unui loc de muncă

💡 De ce este important să participi?
Răspunsurile tale vor contribui la:
▪ identificarea principalelor provocări și blocaje din piața muncii
▪ înțelegerea nevoilor reale de formare și reconversie profesională
▪ analizarea diferențelor dintre cererea și oferta de muncă
▪ dezvoltarea unor măsuri adaptate realităților locale

📊 Datele colectate vor fi folosite exclusiv în scop de cercetare și dezvoltare strategică, iar răspunsurile sunt analizate anonim, conform Regulamentului (UE) 2016/679 (GDPR).

🎁 Participă și poți câștiga!
Completează chestionarul până pe 16 februarie 2026 (inclusiv) și intri automat în tombola cu tragere la sorți pentru unul dintre cele 3 vouchere eMAG, în valoare de 500 lei fiecare.

Extragerea va avea loc pe 17 februarie 2026, prin intermediul platformei random.org.

📝 Completează chestionarul aici:
👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxsQ00qIZ93YMYEmltF0xl9MlLEVCKOOHz-fgzqs9OblewUw/viewform

📘 Chestionarul este realizat de compania Thecon, în cadrul proiectului SteelCityZen, cofinanțat prin Programul Interreg Danube Region al Uniunii Europene. Proiectul sprijină orașele cu tradiție industrială în procesul de diversificare a pieței muncii și adaptare la noile tranziții economice.

Implică-te. Opinia ta poate contribui la decizii mai bune pentru viitorul profesional al comunității noastre! 💙

Acest chestionar face parte din procesul de analiză a situației actuale a pieței muncii din Municipiul Galați, realizat în cadrul proiectului european SteelCityZen – “Diversifying labour markets in industrial cities of the Danube Region via enhanced stakeholder cooperation & skills matchmak...

28/01/2026

📍 Galați at a crossroads

Local media report that the company managing the Liberty Galați steel plant is currently facing payment incapacity, putting jobs and economic stability at risk. According to Mediafax (January 2026), local authorities have asked for government support to address the situation and protect the workforce.

🏭 For a city with a strong industrial legacy like Galați, these developments highlight the urgent need for labour market resilience, reskilling, and economic diversification.

💡 This is exactly where SteelCityZen comes in — supporting industrial cities in building inclusive, adaptable labour markets through collaboration between local authorities, employers, and training providers.

🔄 Preparing for change means supporting people, skills, and new opportunities — today and for the future.

📰 Source: Mediafax, January 2026





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13/01/2026

🔎 Recent developments in Galați’s steel industry

According to recent media reports, Liberty Galați has received an additional one-year extension under the preventive concordat procedure. Despite this legal extension, measurable progress toward economic recovery has not yet been observed. Steel production has not resumed, and the restructuring process remains at an early stage, maintaining a high level of uncertainty for the local workforce and supply chains.

⚠️ This situation reflects broader challenges faced by industrial cities with a strong dependence on a single economic actor. While legal and financial instruments can provide temporary stability, they underline the importance of long-term strategic planning for economic resilience and employment security.

🌍 For cities like Galați, this context reinforces the urgency of economic diversification and workforce transition.
Building resilience means investing in skills development, innovation, and new economic sectors, while supporting workers and communities affected by industrial change.

🌱 Within this framework, the SteelCityZen project contributes to strengthening local and regional capacity for just transition.
The project supports industrial cities in designing policies that encourage diversified labor markets, inclusive growth, and sustainable employment pathways, aligned with European priorities for competitiveness and social cohesion.

🤝 Ensuring a balanced transition — one that respects industrial heritage while enabling future-oriented opportunities — remains essential for the long-term development of Galați and similar European cities.

19/11/2025

🔧 Galați Steelworks: Key Steps Underway to Secure the Future of an Industrial Giant

The Galați Steelworks — a landmark of Southeast Europe’s industrial landscape — is approaching a critical crossroads. As the plant faces heavy debts and halted production, new measures are being prepared to safeguard jobs, revive activity, and ensure a sustainable future for the region.

According to an internal Liberty Galați report, the rescue plan is built on three pillars:
1️⃣ Restarting activity through urgent leasing (tolling) of production lines.
2️⃣ Launching a transparent international auction with a guaranteed minimum price to protect public funds and part of the suppliers’ claims. Several companies have already shown interest.
3️⃣ A state-supported solution, should the auction not yield a suitable investor, with the Romanian government ready to step in as main creditor.

An interministerial committee is currently coordinating efforts at national level. The profile of a future investor goes beyond financial strength — it requires access to raw materials, a reliable client base, strong logistics, technical expertise, and immediate working capital.

This period is crucial for the city and its workers. SteelCityZen continues to follow these developments closely, as they directly impact Galați’s transition toward a more resilient and diversified local economy.
Source: Europa Liberă / Cezar Amariei, 18 November 2025

Închirierea urgentă a liniilor de producție, organizarea unei licitații internaționale cu preț minim și o eventuală intervenție a statului român, în caz de eșec – sunt cele trei etape prin care, în lunile următoare, s-ar putea încerca salvarea combinatului din Galați.

03/11/2025

“Emergency Steel Social Summit: steel industry and steel workers call for urgent action to restore a level playing field in Europe” (1 Oct 2025) news.industriall-europe.eu

🌍 Across Europe, the steel sector faces big challenges: excess capacity, unfair competition, high energy costs. In the “Emergency Steel Social Summit”, industry and labour organisations joined forces to call for immediate action.
That’s why the SteelCityZen project is so important — working with cities like Galați to build resilient labour markets and support structural change.

📸credits: eurofer.eu

01/10/2025

Galați, June 2025 – LIBERTY Galați, Romania’s largest integrated steel producer, has taken a major step forward in its industrial transition by restarting Blast Furnace No. 5, resuming large-scale steel production after an extended shutdown. This achievement is expected to stabilize the supp...

01/10/2025

Galați, once renowned as the home of the largest steel plant in South-Eastern Europe, is embracing a new identity. The city is evolving from its industrial legacy into a forward-thinking, sustainable, and citizen-centric urban hub—an “intelligent city” aligned with Europe’s green and digita...

02/07/2025

🌊 Uniți prin Dunăre! 29 Iunie – Ziua Internațională a Dunării 🌊
La Galați, Dunărea nu e doar un fluviu – e parte din identitatea noastră. Ne inspiră, ne leagă, ne provoacă să construim un oraș mai curat, mai verde, mai aproape de natură.
💙 Cu gândul la sustenabilitate și comunitate, susține respectul față de oameni, față de natură, față de viitor.

25/06/2025

🚀 SteelCityZen a pornit la drum!
Pe 17–18 iunie, echipa proiectului SteelCityZen s-a reunit la Slezská Ostrava CZ pentru întâlnirea de lansare.
 Ziua 1: discuții administrative, întâlnirea Comitetului de Coordonare și training în managementul proiectului.
 Ziua 2: sesiuni tematice despre obiectivele proiectului, analiza părților interesate și planificarea comunicării.
🟦 La eveniment au participat și reprezentanții Primăriei Municipiului Galați, partener PP2 în proiect.
Un început promițător pentru o colaborare interregională de succes! 🌍🤝