Project: Research hub in the fields of geosciences, life sciences and aquatic systems

Our country will have a unique research hub in Europe, in Murighiol, in the fields of geosciences, life sciences and aquatic systems. The contract for the priority project International Center for Advanced Studies for River-Sea Systems - DANUBIUS-RO was signed at the Government by the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Bogdan Ivan, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Adrian Câciu and Mihaela Marinela Păun, Director General of the National Institute for Research and Development for Biological Sciences. Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacşu stated on this occasion: "The Danube is an important vector of Europe, it is the second longest European river, I believe. It crosses, if I'm not mistaken, 10 countries, four capitals and its longest route is here in Romania. (...) I am very glad that such a project primarily aims at things related to the research platform that would provide us with the conditions and information, but also the necessary structure to be able to further enhance this habitat. Another very important thing is the international dimension. I said a little earlier that the Danube crosses a significant number of states and it is very good that you are also managing to bring together the innovative minds of researchers from all the Danube riparian states through this project. No less important is the fact that I know the development hub and the laboratories are located in the Danube Delta." The Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Bogdan Ivan, said that the project has an implementation period of 60 months and a value of over 128 million euros: "The International Center for Advanced Studies for Large River Systems Danubius is financed from POCIDIF with a value of 128.2 million euros, 60 months of implementation. (...) What are we actually doing there through this extremely important project? We are building a unique hub in all of Europe, in Murighiol - 17 scientific laboratories for geosciences, life sciences and aquatic systems research, eight field stations and 16 observation points that will use the latest technologies in terms of processing very large data, big data, in terms of using artificial intelligence to process all this data and to have an exhaustive analysis of everything that the captured data means". He claimed that in the end, researchers will work with data that can be used at European and international level. He said that the project will have an impact on the economic development of the Danube Delta ecosystem, but also in the field of technological transfer. "This brings added value and shows that it is possible in Romania and that Romanian researchers from the middle segment will be able to have a future here," Ivan added.

Adrian Câciu, Minister of Investments and European Projects, expressed his hope that the final results will be disseminated in a way that is understandable to all people and that the attractiveness of the Danube Delta will increase. In turn, the general director of the National Institute for Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Mihaela Marinela Păun, said that it is a pan-European infrastructure in which Romania holds the coordination. According to the director, over 300 Romanian and foreign researchers will carry out their activities within the hub.