The National Institute of Aerospace Research “ELIE CARAFOLI” - INCAS has carried out its activity under this name since the 15th of July 1991, according to the certificate of registration at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bucharest, number J.40/6492/1991, having the SIRUES code 40/12.52.193.

INCAS has carried out its activity under different names and structures for about 50 years (since 1950) when The Applied Mechanics Institute of the Romanian Academy was established. Later on, in 1965, the Institute of Fluid Mechanics (also belonging to the Romanian Academy) has separated from this institute as a company specialized in the aeronautical and space fields.

Starting with 1968 The Aerospace Design and Research was established and later on the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerospace Research IMFCA has been organized, IMFCA assumed control of all the Romanian aeronautical research.

Ten years later, IMFCA has been reorganized becoming The National Institute for Technological and Scientific Creation. Later on, in 1985 its name was changed again and became The Institute for Aerospace Scientific Research and Technological Engineering -ICSITAV. Its activity was mainly focused on design and this resulted in leaving the theoretical research on the second place although this activity was remarkable during the period the institute had belonged to the Romanian Academy.

In 1990 a new reorganization in the aviation field took place and ICSITAV became the Aviation Institute, as the unique company for research and design in Romania.

In 1991 the Aviation Institute was reorganized along with the whole aeronautical industry. As a result , a new company has been established, namely ORCAS -The Romanian Office for Aerospace Research, meant to coordinate all the aeronautical research and to represent the Romanian aeronautical activity abroad. This restructuring program results in the establishment of several research companies, all detached from the Aviation Institute such as: IMFDZ, STRAERO, INAv, ELAROM, SIMULTEC, CPCA, each of them meant to develop a limited field of the Aeronautical Sciences. Among these,only two -IMFDZ and ORCAS- have as object the complex research in the aeronautical and space field, which resulted in their merging. The new created company received the name of The National Institute of Aerospace Research "ELIE CARAFOLI" - INCAS.