Some 60% of Romanian companies have adopted cloud technology - i.e. they use online servers and applications to store data and run operational processes instead of their own infrastructure - and the percentage of those with a high level of implementation has increased in the last two years from 14% to 23%, according to local report based on the Cloud Business Survey, At a regional level, the figures are slightly higher: 68% of companies are using the cloud, while the share of those with advanced deployment reached 25%.
In contrast, around 40% of Romanian companies have not yet moved beyond the stage of pilot projects and isolated uses of the cloud. Although this percentage has decreased since 2023, progress has been slower than in the rest of the region, where only 311TPTP3T of companies are in the early stages.
Less than a quarter of local organizations have migrated applications to the cloud on a large scale, compared to more than a third regionally, and a significant portion are just planning to take that step in the next year.
„Romanian companies are still catching up in the cloud. Maturity levels are lower than in other markets in the region, such as Poland or the Czech Republic, where adoption has accelerated strongly in the last two years. But there are significant nuances that the numbers alone do not capture, such as recent cloud initiatives by government entities such as the Romanian Digitization Authority (RDA) and the Ministry of Economy, Digitization and Entrepreneurship, which signal a growing institutional momentum„, said Gabriel Voicilă, Technology Partner, PwC Romania.
Cloud-based adoption of artificial intelligence still in its infancy
The gap with the region is even more visible in the area of artificial intelligence. Only 131TPTP3T of Romanian companies have effectively deployed cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning tools, less than half the regional average.
Also, very few local companies have implemented or are in the process of implementing AI agents (software programs that can make decisions and perform tasks autonomously), while most say they are still exploring these solutions without having taken concrete steps.
The majority of Romanian companies do not consider themselves ready in terms of data infrastructure and internal competencies to capitalize on artificial intelligence. Only about a quarter consider that they have an adequate data architecture (i.e. well-organized data collection, storage and management systems), almost half the regional average. Employee training is no better either, below the CEE level.
On a positive note, half of the local companies are paying attention to the responsible deployment of AI applications, exceeding the regional average in this regard.
Cloud investment growing, but in small steps
Nearly three-quarters of Romanian companies plan to allocate larger cloud budgets in the coming year, but most are targeting modest increases (below 5%). Regionally, more than half of companies plan to increase their budgets above 5%.
Only 17% of local companies plan specific investments in AI and machine learning (ML) on the cloud, half the regional average. Most Romanian organizations allocate budgets for cloud strategy (30%), cloud managed services (30%), digitization of core operational platforms (27%) and industry-specific cloud solutions (27%).
The main cloud investment objective for Romanian companies is to improve customer experience, mentioned by 47% of the survey participants, well above the regional average. Other priorities are cybersecurity and cost reduction, indicated by one third of respondents, while the implementation of AI for business decisions and product and service innovation remains a secondary objective for now (27%).
Romania, regional leader in cloud sustainability
A strength of Romania is sustainability: some 70% of local organizations use cloud infrastructures and data centers with sustainable practices, 15 percentage points above the CEE average, which is Romania's biggest advantage compared to the region in the entire study. Also, the vast majority of local companies (93%) consider sustainability criteria when choosing a cloud provider.