The construction of a special mirror factory for high-power lasers has begun in Măgurele, an investment of 193 million euros funded by the Romanian Government.
The facility will operate within the „Horia Hulubei” Institute and is expected to be ready in approximately a year and a half. The first beneficiary will be the most powerful laser in the world, also located in Măgurele.
"By building this factory, this high-power center, Romania will be the fifth producer in the world in this technology. We can become exporters of this technology," said Cseke Attila, the Minister of Development, as quoted by Digi24.
In the future factory, 30 Romanian researchers trained in Japan will work here, as also reported by TVR Info.
The center will produce high-power mirrors, each valued at approximately 1 million euros, necessary for the laser in Măgurele. Currently, these optical components are imported from Japan, but the new factory will enable domestic production.
"Our goal is not only to produce some mirrors, but to produce the best mirrors on the market," stated Alexandru Ur, the director of ELI-NP.
In addition to reducing import dependency, the center will create jobs and utilize state-of-the-art technology.
The Măgurele laser is unique worldwide, capable of producing energy equivalent to 10% of the Sun's energy. The construction of the laser began in 2013 and cost over 300 million euros, with its maximum capacity reached two years ago.
The mirror factory and production center will be completed by the summer of 2027, positioning Romania among the world leaders in high-power laser technology.