Meeting of the Council of National Research and Development Institutes in Romania, in Cluj-Napoca: a dialogue on the role of the INCDs, research governance, and the strengthening of the national RDI ecosystem

Cluj-Napoca, September 9–11, 2026 – The Council of National Research and Development Institutes of Romania (CINCDR) met from September 9–11, 2026, in Cluj-Napoca, at a meeting hosted by the National Research and Development Institute for Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (INCDTIM). The meeting brought together representatives of the national research and development institutes, the National Research Authority (ANC), the Advisory Council for Research, Development, and Innovation (CCCDI), as well as representatives from academia and institutions playing a key role in the development and funding of Romania’s research, development, and innovation ecosystem.

The proceedings on September 10 were primarily devoted to discussions regarding the national research and development institutional system and the role of national institutes within the current framework governing the organization and operation of Romanian research. The opening of the meeting included messages from representatives of the ANC, CINCDR, CCCDI, and INCDTIM, followed by a working session of the Council. A key item on the agenda was the analysis of the CCCDI’s role and responsibilities and its interaction with national research and development institutes, as well as a discussion of the institutional evaluation process in the context of Law No. 25/2023. Participants addressed the implications of the current legislative framework on the institutes’ activities, the evaluation criteria and mechanisms, as well as ways in which scientific and institutional performance can be supported and leveraged more effectively. The meeting also focused on CINCDR’s institutional communication and representation, its relationship with public authorities, partner institutions, and the beneficiaries of its research activities, as well as the formulation of public positions.

On September 11, the discussions focused on the institutional architecture of research and innovation in Romania, with an emphasis on the mission and responsibilities of the Observatory for Research, Development, and Innovation (OCDI) and the Central Unit for Innovation, analyzed in relation to the mandates, roles, and operating mechanisms of the national research and development institutes. Within this framework, the dialogue between representatives of CINCDR, the leadership of the National Research Authority, and the meeting’s guests focused, in particular, on the role of national research and development institutes in Romania’s research ecosystem, their contribution to knowledge production, technology transfer, and innovation, skills development, as well as strengthening the link between research activities and the needs of the economy and society. The following individuals participated in these discussions: Andrei Alexandru , president of the National Research Authority (ANC), and Tudor PRISECARU, vice president of the ANC, along with Madalin Bunoiu, the president of the CCCDI, and Marcel Boloș, general manager of the Northwest Regional Development Agency. The academic community in Cluj was represented at the leadership level by Prof. Anca Dana Anca Dana Buzoianu, the rector of the “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Prof. Cornel Catoi, the rector of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, and Prof. Radu Silaghi-Dumitrescu, chair of the Scientific Council of Babeș-Bolyai University. The presence of representatives from authorities responsible for research policy, advisory bodies, national institutes, and the leadership of major academic institutions created the framework for a direct institutional dialogue on the future of Romanian research and on how national institutes can be more strongly integrated into public policies on research and innovation.

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