Măgurele is a town situated in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania. It has a population of 14,414 and hosts several research institutes.
Research institutes
Although a small town, Măgurele hosts 9 different research institutes, on the naukograd model: (NIPNE/IFIN-HH) nipne.ro Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) www.eli-np.ro (INFLPR) inflpr.ro National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP) infim.ro (IFA) ifa-mg.ro National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics (INOE 2000) inoe.ro (NIEP/INCDFP) infp.ro National Institute of Research and Development in Mechatronics and Measurement Technique (INCDMTM) incdmtm.ro (IMNR) imnr.ro Research and Development National Institute for Metals and Radioactive Resources (INCDMRR-ICPMRR) incdmrr.ro
The town hosts Măgurele Science Park, the largest science park in Romania, consisting of a series o research institutes. among which a nuclear research lab, the (IFA) and its National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH). Between 1957 and 1998, it had a Soviet VVRS research reactor, now closed down. The Faculty of Physics of the University of Bucharest is also located in Măgurele.
According to a Romanian government press release, the high power laser system (HPLS) project of the Extreme Light Infrastructure — Nuclear Physics Center achieved the power of 10 petawatts on 7 March 2019, becoming the most powerful laser in the world.
Administration
Măgurele was declared a town in 2004. It has a population of over 11,000. Four villages are administered by the town: Alunișu, Dumitrana, Pruni, and Vârteju.
Etymology
Its name is derived from a Romanian word possibly of Dacian origin, măgură, meaning "hill".