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Address by Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă at the Romanian Research Gala

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Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă: President Constantinescu, presidential advisor, Minister, rectors, Your Excellencies, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps to Bucharest, dear Romanian researchers,

What could be more uplifting, than after the national anthem, our hearts, and souls enjoy pieces of the Romanian doina, part of the Ballad of Ciprian Porumbescu, and an itinerary through music and Romanian folklore, and then we can award prizes and enjoy even the virtual presence of one of Stanford's most recognized researchers? I don't think there can be anything more uplifting than, as Henri Coandă said, the imagination of those who are here today, in this hall, or anywhere in the world, who do research and use their imagination for the benefit of all of us. And you said earlier that we have to do something to persuade them to stay in the country. We are striving to do more than that, to persuade them to return to the country, and we can only do this by implementing all that we have pledged.

I am honored to attend the first edition of the Romanian Research Gala this evening, a landmark whereby we celebrate the performance of Romanian researchers. I congratulate Minister Burduja, and his Ministry colleagues, he made this pledge in a discussion on what we could do more for the Romanian research, and here it is this event.

I want this event to become a tradition through which we recognize the merits of those who are building the Romania of the future. This is what Emil Palade, Henri Coandă, Ana Aslan, Victor Babeș, Ștefania Mărăcineanu, Petrache Poenaru, Traian Vuia, Horia Hulubei, and many others did, and this is what we must do too. Let's build the future of this country through scientific research and innovation.

You are the ones who continue their work and confer new dimensions to the process of consolidation of the Romanian nation and state, asserting our European destiny, pushing the frontier of science, and contributing to the increase of Romania's prestige around the world.

The role of scientific research is fundamental to the existence of any modern society. We need research. Advanced technologies require a deep and subtle understanding of both the material and human dimensions of existence.

Research and innovation are the main elements around which the Romania of tomorrow must be built, and the Government I am leading treats this field with utmost seriousness. Investment in research and innovation is key to competitiveness in the global economy.

That is why, for the year 2023, we allocated a 70% higher budget to research compared to last year. As we assumed in the government program, in 2024, research will have a 1 percent budget of GDP. Until 2027, research will benefit from investments worth 60 billion lei, according to the national plan approved last September by the Romanian Government. These investments will return through economic growth, the creation of new jobs, and the improvement of the living standards of all Romanians.

The research-development and innovation component also has an important place in the National Recovery and Resilience Program. Of the 260 million euros allocated to investments in this sector, 183 million are intended to attract to Romania the best researchers, Romanian and foreign, to carry out research development and innovation activities in our country. 295 funding applications have already been submitted by universities and research institutes, and their applications are now in the evaluation process. 120 beneficiaries will be selected, who will receive funding of up to 1.4 million euros.

We want to facilitate the access of Romanian researchers to international research networks, promote projects at the forefront of global scientific research, both in the field of applied research and fundamental research, and support where possible, the use of research results in domestic industry and economy.

In addition to funding, Romanian research needs legislative coherence too. The Romanian Government is working to improve the national legislative framework in the field of research –development, and innovation, so that we create a framework favorable for Romanian researchers in the diaspora to return home and our country become a global exporter of knowledge and technology.

Until the end of 2023, according to the PNRR milestone, Romania will have new legislation regarding the researchers’ careers and status, in compliance with the European Commission’s recommendations and with the support of the World Bank.

Career advancement should be based exclusively on merit grounds, with transparent, competitive, and open procedures to recruit research personnel, in compliance with good European practices.

However, trust in science and a passion for research, development, and innovation must be cultivated from an early age, and pre-university education plays a decisive role here. Increasing the share of science, technology, and engineering in mathematics - STEM education in Romanian schools will create adults prepared for the jobs of the future and improve the position of our country in international rankings that measure the quality of pre-university education.

The latest PISA tests show a low level of scientific literacy among students, and we are aware of this. We work to create a systemic change, based on the recommendations and examples of good practice provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

I trust that the Educated Romania project and the new legislative package in the field of education, along with the reform of the pre-university education curriculum, will ensure quality science education for all Romanian children. Through the PNRR, more than 10,000 science laboratories must be equipped to the highest standards in 2024, giving children across the country access to science education and the chance to cultivate their passion and skills in research, development, and innovation.

Romania does not lack good ideas, creativity, or innovative solutions, but these must be transferred from research laboratories and institutes to the production line and then to the economy. Technology transfer is vital for Romania's economic progress and the consolidation of our role as a regional leader and exporter of innovative products. The Government of Romania is committed to strengthening the legal framework in force to support extensive cooperation between the Ministry of Research, the entrepreneurial environment, and research centers. Only in this way can we accelerate and strengthen the pace of our development.

I want us to increase not only the volume of investments in the economy but also the coherence of our plans. If we managed, in the complicated year 2022, to increase Romania's GDP by 49 billion euros, i.e. the equivalent of the entire 2002 GDP, we can amplify this development by capitalizing on the role of research and innovation in our economy. I believe it is the only solution to attain this objective.

Ladies and gentlemen, a strong and prosperous nation is founded on these values that you brilliantly represent in the most demanding global community, and we have the duty, as a Government, to contribute to the promotion of these values in Romanian society.

In this respect, we want to reward those who have invested time, effort, and intelligence to achieve exceptional results in the field of scientific research, by launching, on the occasion of this gala, the research and innovation awards; we hope that these awards contribute to a greater promotion of Romanian researchers in the country and abroad and of their outstanding achievements as benchmarks for the construction of professional careers based on excellence and honesty.

I wish to express my gratitude, both on behalf of the Government and personally, for your exceptional scientific work; you represent, at the highest level, the potential of the Romanian nation and you give us hope that the effort of the great personalities who built modern Romania is supported and carried forward to the honor of the entire nation.

Concluding, I congratulate all the finalists and winners of this evening's gala! I wish you much success further on and I assure you of the full support of the Romanian Government.