Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Transformation Bogdan Ivan declared on Tuesday that EUR 1 billion worth of investments in fundamental research are planned for the period 2024 – 2026.
„In terms of financial resources, we have opened or are preparing 14 major lines of financing for fundamental research, but also for technological transfer to the market, totaling approximately EUR 1 billion in multi-annual programs starting from 2024 until 2026,” Bogdan Ivan declared at the annual conference „Higher education in Romania, on the world map of education”, an event dealing with the impact of new technologies on the educational process, organized by DC News.
Ivan stated that some of the most important investments are those in centers of excellence, with EUR 320 million in planned financing for 24 centers of excellence that will operate in fields ranging from the medical system to space, medical engineering and genomics to space studies, and quantum technologies or cloud computing.
The minister explained that the research ecosystem means the more than 400 national research and development institutes, as well as universities and private companies.
He also pointed out that last year’s achievements include the designing in collaboration with the Council of Rectors, the Romanian Academy and professional associations and structures of a law on research personnel, which regulates the researcher’s status, which was updated with principles from the European Charter for Researchers and which cleared Parliament a week ago.
The Research minister highlighted Romania’s most recent achievements, including the inauguration, on May 20, at the Babes-Bolyai University, of the most modern medical biology research center that has advanced real time medical imaging capabilities which up to 7T MRI.
Noting the impact of new technologies on the educational process, Ivan said: „The ministry has already earmarked EUR 21 million for automatic data processing for the the administrative side of school and university enrollments, National Assessment exams, in order to avoid queues in 2024. I am waiting with great interest for the Education Ministry to apply.”
AGERPRES