Măgurele

For other uses, see Măgurele (disambiguation).

Măgurele is a town situated in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania. It has a population of 14,414 as of 2021 and hosts several research institutes.

Măgurele
Town
Downtown Măgurele, 2007
Coat of arms
Location in Ilfov County
Măgurele Location in Romania
Coordinates: 44°20′58″N 26°01′47″E
Country	Romania
County	Ilfov
Government
• Mayor (2024–2028)	Narcis-Cătălin Constantin[1] (PNL)
Area	45 km2 (17 sq mi)
Elevation	78 m (256 ft)
Population  (2021-12-01)[2]	14,414
• Density	320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	077125
Area code	(+40) 02 1
Vehicle reg.	IF
Website	primariamagurele.ro

In 2024, new buses were donated from the Voluntari district. It is rapidly developing. Examples include investment into education in Vârteju,^[3] construction of a new water supply and sewage collection network in Măgurele,^[4] and 85 households in Aluniș, connected to the water and sewage network.^[5]

Research institutes

Although a small town, Măgurele hosts 9 different research institutes, on the naukograd model:^[6][7]

• Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering [ro] (NIPNE/IFIN-HH) nipne.ro
  • Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) www.eli-np.ro
• National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics [ro] (INFLPR) inflpr.ro
• National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP) infim.ro
• Institute of Atomic Physics [ro] (IFA) ifa-mg.ro
• National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics (INOE 2000) inoe.ro
• National Institute for Earth Physics [ro] (NIEP/INCDFP) infp.ro
• National Institute of Research and Development in Mechatronics and Measurement Technique (INCDMTM) incdmtm.ro
• National Research&Development Institute for Non-ferrous and Rare Metals [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.^[8] among which a nuclear research lab, the Institute of Atomic Physics [ro] (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.^[9][10]

Administration

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
2002	9,200	—
2011	11,041	+20.0%
2021	14,414	+30.5%
Source: Census data

Măgurele was declared a town in 2004.^[11] At the 2021 census it had a population of 14,414. Four villages are administered by the town: Alunișu, Dumitrana, Pruni, and Vârteju.

The local administration releases the monthly Pro Măgurele newspaper.^[12]

Etymology

Its name is derived from a Romanian word possibly of Dacian origin, măgură, meaning "hill".

Natives

• George Anania (1941–2013), science-fiction writer and translator
• Augustin Deleanu (1944–2014), footballer