Liberty Technology Park Cluj: The investors announced yesterday that Fribourg Development will start working on the first phase of the project in March, estimated at 10 million Euros.
The first phase of the future technological park,Liberty, involves the reconversion of the existing buildings and their surroundings. This phase targets the developing of 8.772 sq m for offices, a restaurant and a coffee shop. Developments on the construction site will start in March and the first office spaces in the park should be finished by November 2013. Nina Moldovan, CEO at Liberty Technology Park Cluj states: „A major component in the making of this project is its sustainability and the construction of buildings with reduced energy costs. We initiated all the requirements needed in order to obtain the BREEAM certification for green buildings.”
Ion Sturza, president at Fribourg Capital mentions: „This project is more than a real estate project. We aim at attracting companies in IT&C and R&D. Our concept includes office spacing but also services and facilities for these companies alongside a business accelerator for innovative projects. Our inspiration lays in the technological parks built in central Europe but also the Silicon Valley area. The business accelerator named Spherik, will be a platform meant to help, to grow and to create thriving businesses with its headquarters on the Liberty Technology Park grounds. „Office spacing is not enough for new business, it’s very important that we also provide an environment with mentors. We’re trying to build a bridge between Romania and Silicon Valley. Over 20.000 Romanians work in Silicon Valley for tech companies, many of which are interested in mentoring activities back in Romania. „We’ll have an extension there that will oversee the promotion of our projects back in Cluj-Napoca. Spherik will be launched in the months to come.”
„A Liberty team has already been in Silicon Valley and after this visit, some aspects of our project have been adapted. This IT incubator we wish to create must have a certain logic. The „incubated” companies will have the possibility of launching themselves in a mature market where they can meet with the investors”, Sturza added.
The Liberty Technology Park Cluj project will include a total of 46.000 sq m office spaces and will demand a total investment of 24 million euros. The park will integrate eight buildings: 4 reconverted buildings and 4 new ones. The site will have 565 parking units. The proprietors haven’t leased any contracts yet, but their sales campaign has just been launched. „We have flexible pricing, depending on the areas and services, offering competitive prices on the local market” added Sorin Dan, member in the Board of Administration at Liberty Technology Park.
The new complex has been designed by the architects at Chapman Taylor. „Our biggest challenge was to embed the newest technologies in the existing buildings. Our intentions is to keep as much as we can from the industrial heritage that the existing buildings have to offer. The industrial architecture offers a great advantage – we have wide spaces on each floor.”
Igor Bergmann, architect at Chapman Taylor explains: „Everything has been designed to fulfill a reduced energy plan by exploiting natural light and ventilation. We also designed the site with green areas that will help with high temperatures during the summer. We want to create a complex opened towards the city.”
Since 2011 Libertatea S.A. is detained by the subsidiary of a Cypriot investment fund controlled by the former prime minister of Moldova Ion Sturza, also former C.E.O. of Rompetrol. Fribourg Development, subsidiary detained by the private Investment fund Fribourg Capital holds 90% of the Libertatea shares.
