INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETAREDEZVOLTARE PENTRU MICROTEHNOLOGIE

Their core work

IMT Bucharest is Romania's national research institute for micro- and nanotechnology, specializing in the design and fabrication of nanoscale electronic components, MEMS/NEMS devices, and advanced materials integration. They develop ultra-low power nano components (switches, antennas, sensors), explore spin-wave and quantum computing hardware, and engineer smart nanomaterials for energy harvesting and IoT applications. Their work bridges fundamental nanoelectronics research with applied domains including medical microfabrication, automotive electronics, and RF/microwave devices.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IMT's early H2020 work (2015-2018) centered on fundamental nanoelectronics: MEMS selectors for neuromorphic computing (SelectX) and automotive microelectronics (3Ccar). From 2018-2021, the focus broadened significantly into spin-wave computing, magnonics, quantum computing hardware, and ultra-low power nano components — essentially exploring multiple post-CMOS computing paradigms simultaneously. Most recently (2020-2024), a clear pivot toward application-oriented work has emerged: energy harvesting nanomaterials for IoT, bio-based nanocomposites for packaging, and medical microfabrication — suggesting a shift from pure nanoelectronics research toward commercializable nanomaterial applications.

IMT is moving from fundamental nanoelectronics research toward application-ready nanomaterials — energy harvesting, bio-based composites, and medical devices — making them increasingly relevant for industry-facing projects.

How they like to work

IMT overwhelmingly operates as a participant (9 of 11 projects), contributing specialized micro/nanotechnology expertise to larger consortia rather than leading them. Their two coordinator roles were a Marie Curie fellowship (SelectX) and a conference organization (ENF2019), not large collaborative research projects. With 166 unique partners across 27 countries, they are a well-connected hub — comfortable integrating into diverse European consortia and bringing niche fabrication and characterization capabilities that complement larger teams.

IMT has built an extensive European network of 166 unique consortium partners spanning 27 countries, indicating broad reach across the continent rather than reliance on a few repeat collaborators. Their participation in ECSEL joint undertaking projects (3Ccar, Moore4Medical) connects them to major industrial electronics ecosystems.

What sets them apart

IMT is one of the very few research institutes in Eastern Europe with deep, demonstrated capability across the full nano/micro technology stack — from materials (2D materials, CNTs, nanocellulose) through device fabrication (MEMS/NEMS, FETs) to system integration (RF modules, sensors). For consortium builders, they offer rare geographic diversity (Romania, an underrepresented region in H2020) combined with genuine technical depth, not token participation. Their involvement in FIT-4-NMP explicitly positions them as a bridge for bringing underrepresented regions into mainstream European nanotechnology research.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IQubits
  Their largest single grant (EUR 498,250) and their entry into quantum computing hardware — silicon spin qubits represent a high-ambition research direction.
• CHIRON
  Positions IMT in the emerging field of magnonics and spin-wave computing, a potential post-CMOS paradigm, with work on magnetoelectric multiferroics.
• NANO-EH
  Bridges fundamental nanomaterials expertise (HfZrO, MoS2) directly to a commercial application — IoT energy harvesting — signaling their shift toward market-relevant research.