INSTITUTUL DE CHIMIE FIZICA - ILIE MURGULESCU

Their core work

The Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry is a Romanian research centre specializing in the safety assessment and regulatory science of nanomaterials, particularly for medical and industrial applications. Their core work involves developing grouping frameworks, safe-by-design methodologies, and testing protocols that help bring nanotechnology-enabled products — especially medical devices — through regulatory approval. They bridge the gap between nanomaterial characterization in the lab and real-world safety compliance for industry.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their trajectory shows a clear progression from regulatory policy support to hands-on safety testing for specific product categories. Early projects (ProSafe, NanoREG II, both starting 2015) focused on building frameworks — grouping approaches, safe-by-design implementation, and regulatory methodology development. By 2019, with SAFE-N-MEDTECH, they shifted toward applying that regulatory knowledge to a concrete domain: nanotechnology-enabled medical devices and diagnostics, which also brought significantly larger funding.

They are moving from general nanosafety regulation toward specialized safety assessment for medical nanotechnology — a high-value niche where regulatory expertise meets healthcare innovation.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which suggests they contribute specialized technical knowledge rather than leading consortium management. With 80 unique partners across 21 countries from just 3 projects, they operate within large, multi-national consortia (typical for CSA and RIA nanosafety initiatives). This broad network indicates they are well-connected in the European nanosafety community and comfortable working in complex, distributed teams.

Despite only 3 projects, they have worked with 80 partners across 21 countries — a remarkably wide network reflecting the large consortia typical of EU nanosafety initiatives. Their reach spans most of Europe, placing them well within the continent's nanosafety research community.

What sets them apart

They occupy a specific niche at the intersection of physical chemistry, nanomaterial safety, and regulatory science — a combination that is rare in Romania and valuable across Europe. Their progression from general nanosafety frameworks to medical device safety testing gives them both breadth in regulation and depth in a high-demand application area. For consortium builders, they offer an Eastern European partner with genuine regulatory nanosafety expertise and a track record in large-scale collaborative projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SAFE-N-MEDTECH
  Their largest project (EUR 379,250), marking a strategic pivot into medical device nanosafety — a growing regulatory challenge as nano-enabled diagnostics enter the market.
• NanoREG II
  A major EU-wide effort to create grouping and safe-by-design standards for nanomaterials, positioning them at the centre of European nanosafety regulation development.