This report presents the key insights from a closed-door Working Lunch organised during the 2025 Aspen–GMF Bucharest Forum under the Aspen Technology & Society Program. It captures high-level reflections from senior decision-makers on how Romania and the Central and Eastern European region can translate digital innovation into real economic competitiveness. The paper examines structural gaps in governance, investment and EU-level engagement, and highlights the core message of the discussion: the need for coherence, ambition and coordinated action to move from untapped potential to innovation-driven growth.