Post Craiova – Similarity

It remains an extraordinarily fascinating subject: the similarities and differences between Dutch and Romanian society. That’s why it’s a frequently recurring topic in this blog. In my opinion, these differences are smaller than you might think at first glance. Regular readers will recognize this viewpoint

The reduction of differences is based on significant shifts. These occur within a single generation. It’s a remarkable development that I have witnessed during the 24 years I’ve been active in Romania. Our societies seem to be growing economically closer to each other, and this appears to be happening increasingly quickly. There’s a beautiful term for this in English: ‘convergence’.

An example? The latte macchiato and carpaccio has made its debut in Craiova. Luxury products that no one here had heard of five years ago are now available on every street corner. These rapid changes in the market also bring challenges for entrepreneurs who want to invest. Which development will remain and when do you jump in? If, as of 2022, we find a children’s play paradise in every Dutch city with more than 30,000 inhabitants — a kind of indoor playground for children aged 4 to 12 — how long will it be before the same phenomenon occurs in Romania?

In the IT industry, there has been a huge shortage of qualified employees for years, which is now the same in both the Netherlands and Romania. Partly due to Corona, there is also a trend where (software) product development is increasingly done remotely, by employees working from home. Most employers, perhaps with the exception of Elon Musk, have no problem with this nowadays. Nevertheless, traffic jams are as frequent as before Corona, but that aside.

Local (remote) product development from Amsterdam or Enschede and nearshoring software development from Craiova and Timisoara (as in the case of NetRom) are becoming increasingly similar. This similarity applies to the type of service as well as to sector-relevant knowledge and expertise and the quality of output. The costs and rates are also converging.

An obvious question then is why a competent software developer, whether man, woman, Dutch or Romanian, in Frankfurt, Enschede, or Roermond, should earn more or less than in Bucharest, Cape Town, or Sofia.

NetRom’s service in the field of software product development seems to be undergoing the same process of convergence as many other elements in Dutch and Romanian society.

I am incredibly curious to see how quickly this evolution will continue. As far as I am concerned, this subject remains extraordinarily fascinating! And I am eager to keep you updated on the developments.

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