Millions of Lei for Domestic Research

The Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization has launched the competition for the "Demonstrative Experimental Project" funding instrument, with a budget of 53,000,000 lei, funds from the National Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation (PNCDI IV). The competition aims to stimulate partnerships between public research organizations and entrepreneurs to apply research results in the real economy. Minister of Research, Bogdan Ivan, stated: "We are investing 53 million lei in avant-garde projects in artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, agritech, or space technologies, bringing future technologies closer. Romanians are globally recognized for their creativity and intelligence, and the competition we are promoting now represents an aggregator of innovation, courage, and determination. We will breathe new life into Romanian research through at least 70 projects, with funding of 750,000 lei each."

The competition's goal is to fund projects that aim to create and test demonstrative models for new products, technologies, methods, systems, or services, or bring substantial improvements in national areas of intelligent specialization, such as digital economy and space technologies, advanced functional materials, advanced manufacturing, energy and mobility, bioeconomy, climate, energy, environment, and eco-technologies, and health - prevention, diagnosis, and advanced treatment. The deadline for project proposals is February 15, 2024, and the project duration must be a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 24 months.

"Each project proposal must be submitted by a public or private research organization, together with an enterprise conducting research and development activities. For the formation of this partnership, MCID recommends the BrokerMap platform, UEFISCDI's initiative to facilitate free communication, exchange of ideas and services, as well as partnerships between innovators, creators, and implementers - https://www.brainmap.ro/brokermap," stated the source. The PED competition takes place throughout the implementation period of the National Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation, with annual approval from MCID. State budget funding for a project is a maximum of 750,000 lei, in accordance with the approved state aid scheme.