Pictured above: (l-r) Richard Fisher, group director CPMG;  Councillor Alan Clark, Nottingham City Council; Jon Phipps, director, Lathams;  David Hood, head of international and information Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber; and Matthew Tucker, MD Morgan Tucker  

Three local businesses are heading to Romania later this month as part of a group of experts chosen to help advise on the redevelopment of the country's second largest city.

The huge Euro-funded regeneration programme will see the city of Timisoara undergo a 20-year transformation involving major improvements in infrastructure and housing, much of which is in a state of intense disrepair.

Consulting engineers Morgan Tucker will join Nottingham architects CPMG and Derby-based architects and urban designers, Lathams, for a week long advisory visit organised by the British Embassy in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. 

The project has opened up numerous opportunities for regional businesses in one of the newest European member states following the signing of a formal co-operation agreement between the two cities in 2009. The relationship was brokered by the British Ambassador to Romania, Robin Barnett, after he had visited Nottingham to see how the city had tackled regeneration in the 1970s and 1980s.

Matthew Tucker, managing director at Morgan Tucker, said: "We have worked on a number of international projects but the chance to work in a new country, particularly one with such a diverse and interesting history as Romania, is a challenge which we are very much looking forward to.

"Timisoara is a beautiful city with a fantastic, historical heritage and a big ambition but which has, unfortunately, suffered years of neglect since the Romanian Revolution. We are thrilled to be able to help bring this city back to its former glory whilst modernising it for the 21st Century."

Jon Phipps, the director responsible for urbanism and regeneration at Lathams, said: 'We are looking forward to working with our colleagues in Timisoara and our local partners on this project which should contribute to shaping a viable future for this fascinating historical city'. 

Richard Flisher, director of CPMG says: "We are delighted to be a member of the team that will be playing a pivotal role in the regeneration of Nottingham's twin city Timisoara, one of Romania's most charming and historic cities.  

"Our previous experience of working in Eastern Europe, specifically Slovakia and Hungary, combined with our conservation and master planning skills that we have developed handling such major restoration projects as New College's Adams Building in the Lace Market, will be invaluable in helping Timisoara achieve its bold plans."  

Partners on the project include Nottingham City Council, the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, UKTI and the UK Embassy to Romania. 

Councillor Alan Clark said: "I am really pleased to see local businesses taking the lead. The partnership agreement is a commitment for the two cities to work together in the fields of business, culture and regeneration. Nottingham has a good number of companies highly experienced in infrastructure regeneration and we really hope that this will lead to a long-term engagement with Timisoara and more contracts coming our way in the future."  

Timisoara's Mayor, director for development, and other regeneration professionals from Romania came to Nottingham in May 2010 to kick off the project. Since then, another Nottingham firm, Focus Consultants, has been over to the city to advise on the development of the its European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme.

The initiative was originally started when the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber and Nottingham City Council were invited by the Embassy in Bucharest to visit Timisoara and present their experience of regeneration. Since then the relationship has been formalised by office partnership agreements and is now resulting in tangible benefits for local businesses.

David Hood, head of international trade at the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber, said: "This visit is the culmination of a long-standing partnership agreement between Nottingham and Timisoara to develop the economic regeneration of both cities and follows a number of outward and inward trade delegations between the two. Romania's economic progress in recent years has made it one of the top countries for conducting export and import business and its strong economy and potential for further growth make it an area of particular interest for Chamber members and the wider Nottingham business community." 

Timisoara is a university city situated on the Northern bank of the Bega River. With a population of 312,400, it is the largest city in Western Romania and has been an important economic centre since the early 90s.  Often referred to as 'Little Vienna' it boasts several public squares and lush green retreats.

In 1884, the city was the first in Europe and the second in the world, after New York, to use electricity to illuminate its public streets.  It is the birthplace of Hollywood's original Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller.