Maramureș County aims to establish a local economic innovation environment with a regional footprint. This will be achieved by setting up a network of smart specialization parks, evenly distributed across the county in Baia Sprie, Șomcuta, Fărcașa, and Târgu Lăpuș. This setup will function as a “motherboard” that will pool innovation resources, lay the groundwork for technological transfer, and facilitate access for local and regional SMEs to international expertise. This will be made possible through the management company’s membership in the largest association of scientific and technological parks (IASP) and partnerships with specialized academic centers. It will generate matchmaking opportunities between local, regional, and international players, crafting viable solutions for sustainable economic development, taking into account the region’s strengths.

The development of the industrial parks in Maramures County is an assumed priority initiative of the County Council that has the full support of the national administration. For this purpose, in January 2021, the Maramures Industrial Parks Company S.A. was established. The Board of Directors of Maramures Industrial Parks Company includes representatives of professional associations, as well as managers involved in companies such as Vertical Integration – Universal Alloy Corporation Europe.

The documentation for the four specialized smart parks: Baia Sprie, Fărcașa, Șomcuta Mare, and Târgu Lăpuș was approved in August 2023 by the County Council, and submitted to the funding call for the Regional Operational Programme of the North-West Region. In total, the funding reaches up to over 74 million euros, which includes funds for infrastructure as well as state aid for entrepreneurs investing in these parks.