Bucharest, December 3, 2025 – RBJ – The most important nuclear physics project in Romania and Europe, Extreme Light Infrastructure -Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) will be equipped with a “High Power Optics Center -COMP”.
The launch of the COMP construction took place today and is an investment financed by the Government of Romania through the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration and implemented by the National Investment Company, with a total value of 191,657 thousand lei.
The Minister of Development, Cseke Attila, and H.E. Mr. Katae Takashi, Ambassador of Japan to Bucharest, participated.
“Today, we mark a significant step for the development of cutting-edge research and technology in Romania. The project developed at Măgurele represents not only an investment in infrastructure, but also a firm commitment to the future of scientific research and innovation in our country, in Europe and in the world”, said Minister Cseke Attila.
The beneficiary of the investment is the National Research and Development Institute for Nuclear Physics and Engineering “Horia Hulubei”, and the Government of Romania, through the Ministry of Development, is financing the investment with a value of over 190 million lei.
The High Power Optics Center will provide the optics necessary for the uninterrupted and economically efficient operation of the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) research infrastructure, with the highest power in the world, in the form of a research center for users. The availability of locally manufactured mirrors, with reduced production costs and time, will allow increasing the number and scientific and application potential of the possible experiments at ELI-NP.
“Romania has the most powerful laser system in the world. Thus, the need arose for a center to provide high-power optics and develop the technology necessary to make the operation economically efficient and to allow experiments to be carried out to broaden the frontier of knowledge,” said Cseke Attila.
The new center, equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, will allow the manufacture and repair of large-sized optical components, essential for the use of high-power lasers, and will strengthen Romania’s role on the world research map. “In this way, we will support the efficient operation of the ELI-NP Research Center’s infrastructure and create new opportunities on the international market,” the Minister of Development emphasized. He added that Japan, the USA and France are currently the only countries in the world with such a capacity, with only four centers currently operational.
Within the Center for High-Power Optics, micromechanical operations and nanometric finishing for medium and large-sized optical components will be carried out, and the technological processes include fine grinding stages using the combined emulsion water-sand, in a closed circuit, inspection using interferometry and the final stage of depositing the finishing layer. After completing these stages, the optical element will be assembled and inspected within the dedicated spaces.
The creation of this center is done in close collaboration with two important partners from Japan, Okamoto Optics and Osaka University, both partners playing an important role worldwide in the field of high-power optics and high-power lasers.
At the same time, the center’s infrastructure, which will be developed and dedicated to the production of large-sized optical components, will be compatible with the production of optical components of usual sizes and characteristics, thus opening up to a wider consumer market.
The financing of the investment was approved by the Government during the previous mandate of the current Minister of Development and will be provided by the ministry, through the National Investment Company (CNI).
