National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection

What National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection does

INCDPM (National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection), legally organized as Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Protecția Mediului București, is a Romanian state-owned research institute coordinated by the Ministry of Research and Innovation under Governmental Decision 253/2015. Its core mandate is conducting applied environmental research across air, soil, and water pollution, waste management and recycling, climate-change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and environmental impact assessment, supported by a RENAR-accredited Water Quality Laboratory and four ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 27001, OHSAS 18001). The institute operates ten scientific departments, including Laboratories for Environmental Analysis, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Advanced/Smart Materials, Hydrogen Valorization, Numerical Modeling & GIS, and a Second-Degree Biosafety Laboratory.

Technically, INCDPM builds and integrates several proprietary assets: patented DKTB ultrasonic fixed monitoring stations deployed along a 1,500 km LORA-NET corridor on the Lower Danube for sturgeon migration tracking; AI-controlled hydrogen production demonstrators from renewable sources under the HydroG(re)EnergY-Env project; a national SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance platform covering seven Bucharest locations; and the NanoCoM Ca(OH)2/ZnO/TiO2 ternary composite system for cultural-heritage conservation, backed by granted Romanian patent A/00226/2019 and a pending application (a 2020 00862). The institute also holds the sole national/intl database on Lower Danube sturgeon behavior, a 3-Platinum-Medal merit track record, and is registered as an authorized developer of Environmental Reports, EIA, and water-management studies.

Commercially, INCDPM functions as a public-sector, project-funded entity rather than a market-driven business. Revenue is sourced from core institutional grants plus competitive contracts under Romanian national programs (e.g., PNRR), EU framework programs (Horizon Europe, ERA-NET), and bilateral international collaborations with the EC Joint Research Centre, Fraunhofer, ADEME, JICA, SINTEF, NIBIO, DELTARES, and others. Primary customers are Romanian and European public authorities for compliance studies, the scientific community for collaborative research, and NGOs for conservation projects; commercial pricing is not publicly disclosed. The institute has no parent company in the corporate sense and is wholly state-controlled, with governance by an Administration Council and Scientific Council including ministerial representatives.

Name

National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection

Legal name

National Research and Development Institute for Environmental Protection (I.N.C.D.P.M.)

Website

https://incdpm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

INCDPM Bucharest is a Romanian state-owned research institute coordinated by the Ministry of Research and Innovation that delivers applied environmental research, monitoring, and impact assessments to national and EU public authorities, with signature capability in Lower Danube sturgeon monitoring, nanomaterials, and AI-controlled hydrogen systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bucharest

HQ country

Romania

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

INCDPM is a national research institute that delivers applied R&D services in environmental protection across 10 scientific departments, including laboratory analysis of air, soil, and water quality, environmental impact assessments (EIA), waste management and circular economy research, numerical modeling with GIS, nanomaterials development, renewable energy and hydrogen production technologies, climate change mitigation/adaptation studies, biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring (notably sturgeon migration along the Lower Danube), and biosafety laboratory services. The institute also develops digital platforms (wastewater monitoring, LORA-NET sturgeon tracking) and patented monitoring technologies for government and EU clients.

Product overview

INCDPM (National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection) is a Romanian research institute coordinated by the Ministry of Research and Innovation, offering environmental protection research services across multiple scientific departments. The institute operates as a unified research organization providing laboratory analysis of environmental factors, environmental quality assessment and impact analysis, waste management and circular economy solutions, engineering for environmental protection, numerical modeling and GIS services, advanced/smart materials development (including nanomaterials for monument preservation), renewable energies and hydrogen valorization, climate change and sustainable development research, and biodiversity monitoring. The institute also develops digital platforms including a COVID-19 wastewater monitoring system, AI-controlled hydrogen production systems, and LORA-NET sturgeon monitoring networks. Key intellectual property includes patented DKTB monitoring stations and various technologies transferred through their Technology Transfer Center. INCDPM holds multiple international certifications including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001:2013, and OHSAS 18001:2007, and its Water Quality Laboratory is accredited by RENAR according to SR EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Laboratories for Analysis of Environmental Factors RENAR-accredited laboratory services (SR EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, Certificate LI 1202) for analyzing air, soil, and water quality for government and EU clients.
• Environmental Quality Assessment and Impact Analysis Regulator-registered assessment services including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Appropriate Assessment (AA), Environmental Balance Reports (EB), Environmental Reports (ER), Facility Location Reports (FLR), and Security Reports (SR) for Romanian authorities.
• Waste Management and Circular Economy Research and development in waste management, recycling, and secondary mineral deposits covering hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams for public authorities and industry.
• Engineering for Environmental Protection and In-Situ Monitoring Engineering solutions and in-situ monitoring of natural and technological hazards for authorities responsible for disaster and risk management, supported by Hydrological Studies Attestation Certificate No. 108/03.08.2017.
• Numerical Modeling and GIS Services Mathematical, statistical, and physical modeling of natural and anthropogenic phenomena affecting air, soil, water, noise, and biodiversity, combined with GIS for hydromorphodynamic process analysis for public sector planning.
• Advanced / Smart Materials for Environmental Applications Development of advanced nanomaterials applicable in environmental protection and built heritage preservation, including the patented NanoCoM Ca(OH)2/ZnO/TiO2 self-healing/self-cleaning consolidation system.
• Renewable Energies and Hydrogen Valorization Applied R&D on renewable energy and hydrogen production technologies, including AI-controlled electrolyzer systems that produce hydrogen from renewable sources for environmental applications and CO2 reduction.
• Climate Change and Sustainable Development Climate impact assessments, mitigation and adaptation research, and ecosystem-based sustainable development studies aligned with national strategies and the UN 2030 Agenda.
• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics Research and monitoring services covering biodiversity conservation, ecosystem dynamics, and sturgeon migration/behavior studies on the Lower Danube from the Iron Gates to the Black Sea.
• Second Degree Biosafety Laboratory Services Second-degree biosafety laboratory for handling biological samples and conducting specialized environmental research including SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance and biosafety-level testing.
• COVID-19 Wastewater Monitoring Platform Digital platform providing national wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and variants, integrating molecular biology laboratory capabilities (RNA sampling, extraction, amplification, sequencing) and accessible to public authorities and member states.
• HydroG(re)EnergY-Env Hydrogen Production System AI-controlled hydrogen production demonstrator using electrolyzer technology integrated with renewable energy sources, providing modular low/medium/high-capacity hydrogen production for environmental applications and CO2 reduction.
• LORA-NET Sturgeon Monitoring System Digital monitoring network spanning 1,500 km along the Lower Danube using ultrasonic transmitters, GNSS alarm transmitters, photochemical marking, AI, and genomic verification to track wild sturgeon migration and enforce anti-poaching under the European Green Deal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unique national and international database on sturgeon migration and behavior in the Lower Danube
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Clausthal Technical University (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2023German university hosting project progress meeting and providing expertise on hydrolyzer technologies in HydroG(re)EnergY-Env consortium
• 8-organization consortium (Romania, Spain, Latvia, Germany)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2023European Smart Energy System ERA-Net consortium including partners from Romania, Spain, Latvia, and Germany working on hydrogen production from renewable sources
• Politehnica University BucharestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Romanian partner in HydroG(re)EnergY-Env project contributing to hydrogen production technology development
• WING Computer GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2022Romanian partner providing AI and digital solutions for the hydrogen production project
• University of Tuscia (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner collaborating on environmental research and sustainable development studies
• Delaware State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner for environmental and natural resources studies, including telemetry expertise
• SINTEF (Norway)coreTechnology or IntegrationNorwegian research organization collaborating on environmental protection technologies and solutions
• Norwegian Institute of Bio-economy Research (NIBIO)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner specializing in bio-economy and environmental sustainability research
• Center for Agricultural Research of the Hungarian Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on agricultural and environmental protection topics
• Institute for Environment and Sustainability - Joint Research Center European CommissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey EU partner for environment and sustainability research and policy support
• Department of Regional and Urban Policy - European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on regional environmental policy and sustainable development
• VITUKI - Institute for Environmental and Water Management Research (Hungary)coreTechnology or IntegrationHungarian research institute for water management and environmental research
• DELTARES Dutch Research InstitutecoreTechnology or IntegrationDutch applied research institute specializing in water, subsurface, and infrastructure research
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese international development agency collaborating on environmental projects
• COWI Group (Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish consulting group providing engineering and environmental expertise
• EPTISA Consulting, Design and Engineering (Spain)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpanish engineering and consulting firm for environmental projects
• French Environmental and Energy Management Agency (ADEME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench agency for environment and energy management collaborating on sustainable development
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Germany)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading German research organization for applied research in environmental technologies

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VITUKI (Water Resources Research Centre, Hungary): Hungarian institute for water management and environmental research. Comparable Danube-basin focus and listed as a core INCDPM partner, though it operates in a different national context.
• NIBIO (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research): Norwegian research institute focused on bioeconomy, environment, and sustainability. Comparable applied environmental research mandate and listed as a core INCDPM partner.
• SINTEF: One of Europe's largest independent research institutes. Directly comparable as a multi-disciplinary applied research organization with similar environmental, climate, and monitoring portfolios, and listed as a core partner of INCDPM.
• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute focused on water, subsurface, and infrastructure. Highly comparable for INCDPM's hydromorphodynamic modeling, GIS, and Danube water-quality capabilities, and listed as a core partner.
• INCDDD Tulcea (Danube Delta National R&D Institute): Romanian sister institute historically subordinated to INCDPM and focused on Danube Delta biodiversity. Directly comparable in mandate and previously organizationally linked to INCDPM before the 2015 reorganization.

Regional players

• COWI Group: Danish engineering and environmental consulting group. Comparable for environmental impact assessments and infrastructure-environment projects, though primarily commercial rather than public-research driven; a core INCDPM partner.
• Environmental and Water Management Agency (Hungary): Hungarian national water and environmental authority. Comparable institutional role in Danube water governance and environmental regulatory research, in a regional peer context.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied research organization with broad environmental technology, energy, and materials institutes. Comparable scope but at much larger scale; listed as a flagship INCDPM partner.
• ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition): French public agency for environment and energy management. Comparable mission of funding and conducting environmental and energy research, and a core INCDPM partner.
• Joint Research Centre (European Commission): The European Commission's science and knowledge service. Highly comparable for environmental research, sustainability policy, and EU-level environmental monitoring — and listed as a flagship INCDPM partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/INCDPMBucharest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCakuT2YhNEJhfvuOfNoy2A
• Facebookfacebook.com/incdpmB/?ref=page_internal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/incdpm

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection