Connections (BVB: CC) closed the first quarter of 2026 with a net profit of RON 7.89 million, approximately 10 times higher than in the same period last year, and a gross margin of 36%, compared to 7% in Q1 2025. These are the first results that fully reflect the company’s new business model, following the completion of the Service Delivery division sale.Revenue grew by 33%, reaching RON 25.8 million, driven primarily by the Software Public segment and recurring activities. Gross profit rose from RON 1.33 million to RON 9.37 million (+601%), while net profit reached RON 7.89 million, up 901% versus Q1 2025. At the same time, operating expenses declined by 8% despite revenue growth, a clear sign that cost structure optimisation has taken effect.

Gross margin advanced from 7% to 36% year-on-year, reflecting operational optimisation and a shift in the business line mix.

”The 901% increase in net profit validates the strategic planning and execution of Connections and lays the foundations for a robust structure through the 2026–2030 cycle. We continue toward the objectives we have set: consolidating the Software segment, developing recurring activities and increasing operational efficiency, with an increasingly clear investment in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. We are growing year on year but not in isolation. We are part of a Romania that has the potential to become a relevant digital hub, for the region and, further, for a Europe that is building its digital sovereignty. We have the talent, the experience in complex projects, and the companies that know how to deliver. Connections wants to be part of this journey, with responsibility and creativity, project by project, solution by solution,” said Bogdan Florea, Co-CEO & Founder

”Q1 2026 is the first quarter where the numbers truly reflect the business we have built: no margin dilution from low value-added activities, no noise in the figures. We are significantly more profitable and more focused. The external context supports this direction. Digitalisation is accelerating, European regulations like NIS2, AI Act, Cyber Resilience Act are reshaping market rules, and emerging technologies are creating concrete opportunities for companies that know how to capture them. Connections is well positioned to grow in this environment, through its expertise in delivering highly complex projects with real impact in the public and private sectors,” said Radu Marcu, Co-CEO.



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The shares of IT Genetics, a Romanian technology company specialized in digital automation and operational efficiency solutions for businesses, will start trading on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange on May 20 under the ticker symbol ITG. 
The listing marks a new stage in the group’s development and follows the private placement carried out by the company in December 2025, through which it raised RON 5.2 million from investors to support its development plans and international expansion.

“In recent years, we have built a regional technology ecosystem with international operations and solutions developed for key industries such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, and e-commerce. Entering the capital market provides us with access to the instruments needed to accelerate the Group’s development, while maintaining operational discipline, transparency, and the creation of long-term value for shareholders,” said Liviu Sima and Ștefan Axinte, co-founders of IT Genetics.
The capital raised through the private placement completed at the end of last year was aimed at supporting the development of the group’s international operations, expanding the industrial automation and robotics segment, as well as accelerating investments in products and operational infrastructure. 

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The ABSL Hungary General Assembly 2026 convened last week, and announced the following Board members for the coming year.

President:  Istvan Lenk

Board Members:
Ahmed Ismail - Sanofi
Peter Fazekas - IFF
Judit Forgács -  fOrgXpert International
Gábor Illés - Syngenta Group
Andras Kohl - Tesco Business Services
Norbert Makk - Unisys
James Nelson - Computacenter

Together, the Board will continue focusing on key priorities for the sector, including:
🔹 strengthening sector branding and visibility
🔹 advancing advocacy activities and stakeholder collaboration
🔹 continuing the State of Business Services initiative
🔹 fostering professional knowledge sharing and community engagement

Comments from ABSL HU:
"We are excited to build on the achievements of recent years and continue working together with our members and partners for a stronger, more visible, and future-focused business services sector in Hungary. Congratulations to all Board members, and thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s General Assembly. Special thanks to Deloitte for hosting the event."

ENGIE announces the launch of ENGIE Global Business Services Romania (ENGIE GBS Romania), a new subsidiary established in Romania to support the Group’s operations by delivering specialized, high-value internal services dedicated to support functions.
ENGIE GBS Romania will provide integrated IT, Human Resources, Finance, and Procurement services for ENGIE entities across multiple markets. The new center is designed to deliver integrated expertise, streamline operations, and leverage advanced technologies such as automation, analytics, and process optimization tools to enhance efficiency and performance across the Group.
Romania was selected for this new investment due to its strong talent pool, language capabilities, advanced digital skills, and mature business services ecosystem. The decision also reflects ENGIE’s long-standing presence in the local market, where the Group employs more than 4,400 people and operates across nearly the entire energy value chain.
ENGIE GBS Romania currently employs 180 specialists in IT, Human Resources, Finance, and Procurement, and plans to further expand its teams to several hundred employees by the end of the year.
“The decision to establish ENGIE Global Business Services in Romania reflects the Group’s confidence in the country’s potential and its long-term commitment to this market. Romania is a strategic destination for support services, offering strong technological expertise, language capabilities, and a dynamic business environment. We are confident that this new subsidiary will play an important role in strengthening the Group’s operational efficiency at the European level,” said Nicolas Richard, CEO of ENGIE Romania.
Headquartered in Bucharest, the organization is led by Ana Maria Petecilă, General Manager of ENGIE GBS Romania. She has over 15 years of experience in coordinating and developing Global Business Services organizations, gained within leading international companies such as Accenture and Oracle.
“I am proud to lead ENGIE GBS Romania and to build a strong team of specialists capable of delivering high-quality, efficient, and scalable solutions for ENGIE Group entities. Romania has remarkable potential in the business services sector, and the expertise and dedication of our local teams will contribute to ENGIE’s global success through high standards of operational excellence,” said Ana Maria Petecilă, General Manager of ENGIE GBS Romania.

Phoenix Contact Business Services is expanding its operations in Poznań. 

The company, which has been separated from Phoenix Contact Wielkopolska, plans to create over 100 new jobs and increase its workforce to as many as 310 by 2026. The new positions are to be created primarily in the fields of IT, engineering, finance and customer service.

The Shared Services Centre has been operating in Poznań since 2022. It is located in the Nowy Rynek office complex. The company has its roots in Phoenix Contact Wielkopolska – the largest employer in Nowy Tomyśl, which has been consistently developing its manufacturing and technological operations for over 30 years.

Both companies belong to the international Phoenix Contact Group – a global leader in the electrical engineering sector, providing innovative solutions in the fields of electrification, automation and networking. The company aims to increase process efficiency and develop expertise in engineering, IT solutions, digitalisation and comprehensive support for business processes within the Phoenix Contact Group.

Romania risks sliding into a severe recession as political deadlock in Bucharest threatens to derail critical economic reforms, harm investor confidence and trigger a sovereign credit downgrade unless a stable government is installed quickly, local consultancy firm Frames said in an analysis.
"The leu/euro exchange rate is breaking record after record, moving rapidly toward 5.3-5.5 lei per euro, putting pressure on prices and on Romanians’ pockets. At the same time, the interest rates at which the state borrows have risen sharply to the highest level in the European Union,” Frames said in its analysis. "The corrections dictated by the markets are ruthless and, unfortunately, will be extremely costly for all Romanians," according to Frames manager and economic analyst Adrian Negrescu.


The Romanian leu continued weakening on Wednesday, reaching yet another all-time low against the euro, with Romania's central bank setting its reference exchange rate at 5.2688 lei per euro, 0.97% higher than 5.218 lei per euro on Tuesday.


Frames' warning comes a day after the government led by liberal prime minister Ilie Bolojan lost a no-confidence vote initiated by far-right opposition party Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) and centre-left Social Democrat Party (PSD), which left the cabinet last month.


According to the consultancy, for Romania, 2026 could be a defining year, with three major strategic objectives now depending on political stability: completing the EU-funded recovery programme NRRP and securing 10 billion euro in EU funds, accessing 16.68 billion euro through the EU’s SAFE defence investment programme and advancing the country’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).


"If we do not quickly have a government capable of implementing these reforms, unfortunately we will head towards a severe recession, because the markets will not hesitate to sanction Romania for this political drift," Adrian Negrescu said.

CloudXEdge has launched in early May, entering the Romanian market with an integrated portfolio of public, private and hybrid cloud solutions and services designed to improve performance and drive modernization across businesses and public institutions.

Part of Liberty Global, CloudXEdge introduces a new concept to the market, created by a team of Romanian experts recognized in the IT industry, led by Mihnea Rădulescu, CEO CloudXEdge and VP Digital Infrastructure for Liberty Global CEE.
The CloudXEdge infrastructure, based on two data centers located in Romania and backed by investments in state-of-the-art technology, has been natively interconnected with the global telecom network.
CloudXEdge – Distributed Cloud Infrastructure & Proprietary Platform
CloudXEdge is a distributed cloud infrastructure ecosystem integrated with a proprietary platform to offer customers the flexibility of the public cloud services, the security of the private cloud and the resilience of the hybrid cloud with the ultra-low latency of the edge technology.
The AI-ready ecosystem unifies enterprise grade technology, strong edge computing capabilities, robust infrastructure based on local data centers and the proprietary platform developed with the latest technologies – cloudXedge.com.

As business service centres expand, companies are helping shape courses and skills to meet growing demand for graduates.As Slovakia continues to strengthen its position as a hub for shared and business service centres, cooperation between universities and the sector is becoming a key pillar in preparing the next generation of talent. 

AmCham Slovakia’s Business Service Centers Forum (BSCF), representing major employers in shared services, finance, IT and operations, has been working closely with Slovak universities for years, with supporting education forming part of its mission from the very beginning. 

“BSCF practically from its foundation started actively cooperating with universities, as this is one of our core goals,” Peter Rusiňák, coordinator of BSCF at AmCham Slovakia, explains for The Slovak Spectator. 

Even before the formal platform existed, member companies were already contributing to higher education through specialised lectures and full-semester courses in areas such as financial controlling, actuarial science, accounting standards and strategic management. 

Given the nature of jobs in the sector, collaboration is strongest with technical, economics and management-oriented faculties. 

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