Ungheni District

Ungheni exemplifies how border infrastructure creates economic identity. The Free Economic Zone 'Ungheni-Business' hosts 59 companies with over 2,610 employees and €114.32 million in total investment, attracting export-oriented manufacturing and logistics firms. A 19th-century railway bridge across the Prut River has long connected Moldova to Romania; now a €33 million new road bridge launched in April 2025 will link Ungheni (Moldova) to Ungheni (Romania) as part of the Târgu Mureș-Iași-Chișinău 'Union Highway.'

Energy infrastructure compounds the connectivity: the Ungheni-Iași natural gas interconnector, inaugurated in 2014, allows bidirectional gas flow with Romania—critical diversification from Russian dependency. A January 2025 project to electrify and modernize the Iași-Ungheni railway was selected from 258 applications for EU funding, promising 140 km/h passenger speeds and significantly reduced cross-border travel times. Coordinated customs controls implemented in 2025 further streamline flows.

Innovation emerges from this infrastructure base. Paulownia wood processing clusters have developed locally, creating jobs and productivity gains in what might otherwise be another agricultural district. Romania accounts for nearly a third of Moldova's exports, making Ungheni's position as the primary western gateway strategically vital. The district demonstrates how deliberate infrastructure investment at border crossings can transform a geographic accident into an economic asset—connectivity that compounds into development.