Romania invests EUR 38 mln in lab-quality optical equipment factory

Romania has begun work on a specialised production facility in Măgurele, near Bucharest, that will manufacture laboratory-grade mirrors and lenses, including components for the world’s most powerful laser hosted at the adjacent research centre, Digi24 reported. The investment amounts to almost RON 192 million (EUR 38 million), financed through the Ministry of Development.

Authorities said the new centre will be capable of producing high-precision mirrors valued at EUR 1 million each. The technology is supplied by Japanese partners, and the facility is expected to generate several million euros in annual revenue once fully operational.

The complex will employ dozens of specialists, both Romanian and Japanese, who will work on the production and repair of advanced optical elements used in high-energy laser systems.

At present, the optical components required for the Măgurele laser, including large-scale mirrors and custom lenses, are imported from Japan. Once the new plant becomes operational, these elements will be produced locally, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthening the technological base around the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility.

Officials said the objective is to ensure strategic autonomy for the Romanian research sector by building the domestic capacity to manufacture and maintain optical parts essential for high-power laser physics.

“The goal of the new centre is to reduce dependence on imports,” Digi24 journalist Iulia Gurguță reported.

Construction is being carried out within the Măgurele scientific hub, which has grown into one of Romania’s most significant research clusters and hosts several institutions linked to the ELI-NP programme.

(Photo source: Facebook/Ministerul Dezvoltării, Lucrărilor Publice şi Administraţiei)