Innovation Manager at UMF Iasi “Grigore T. Popa”, Romania
Areas of Expertise: Entrepreneurship & Start-Ups, Innovation Management
Cristina Baghiu is an innovation leader with over 20 years of management experience across the banking, energy, and digital sectors. As Co-founder and Coordinator of the Digital Innovation Zone — the first European Digital Innovation Hub in North-East Romania — she leads ecosystem development, stakeholder engagement, and digital transformation initiatives supporting SMEs and healthcare organizations.
Certified in agile facilitation and innovative business models, Cristina mentors start-ups in user-centered design, business strategy, and technology adoption. She is an active member of several EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and co-founded Health Innovation Zone, Romania’s first pre-validation program for health-tech start-ups.
Cristina has extensive mentoring experience within EIT Health, EIT Manufacturing, and EIT Climate-KIC, supporting early-stage ventures in digital health, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
“I am passionate about helping innovators turn ideas into impactful, sustainable digital health solutions.”