Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), part of Austria’s Erste Group, has launched a new ZBOR youth development hub in Bacau, eastern Romania, expanding its nationwide network to 13 locations, the bank announced.
The new facility aims to provide young people with a collaborative environment for personal and professional development, offering non-formal education, mentoring, coaching, volunteering opportunities and community engagement programmes.
The Bacau hub will focus on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, digital skills, sustainability and personal development, helping participants acquire practical competencies and explore career opportunities.
„Young people’s potential grows when they are given space and trust,” said Nicoleta Druica, BCR’s Retail Group Director. „For BCR, ZBOR represents a long-term investment in the generation that will build Romania’s future.”
Druica added that the initiative seeks to provide young people with the resources and freedom to develop their ideas into projects capable of generating meaningful change in their communities.
The Bacau facility has been developed in partnership with the Romanian Youth Movement for Democracy, a local organisation that will help coordinate activities and encourage youth participation.
„We want ZBOR Bacau to be more than a meeting place. We want it to become a community built by young people themselves, where they can experiment, exchange ideas and turn their concerns into concrete initiatives,” said Marian Damoc, president of the Romanian Youth Movement for Democracy.
Tudor Ogner, manager of the ZBOR hubs network, said the opening responds to local demand for dedicated spaces where young people can connect, develop their interests and gain confidence in their abilities.
Nationwide expansion
Launched in 2024, ZBOR is BCR’s national youth development programme, combining physical community spaces with digital learning resources.
With the addition of Bacau, the network now operates 13 hubs across Romania, including locations in Constanta, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Brasov, Ploiesti, Targu Jiu, Baia Mare, Timisoara, Vaslui, Craiova and Bucharest. The capital hosts two facilities, at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies and the Politehnica University of Bucharest.
According to BCR, the programme has developed a community of more than 120,000 young people, trainers and mentors.
In addition to its physical locations, ZBOR operates a digital learning platform and a mobile application providing access to online courses and events organised throughout the network.
The initiative forms part of BCR’s broader efforts to promote financial education, youth empowerment and community development in Romania.
BCR, a subsidiary of Erste Group, is one of Romania’s leading financial institutions, providing retail and corporate banking, investment services and other financial products through a nationwide branch network and digital banking platforms.
