FISA2019 and EURADWASTE'19 attracted over 400 participants from 27 countries from Europe, USA, Canada, Russia, Egypt and Iran, representing a large spectrum of stakeholders: national and European policy makers, research centers and universities, nuclear industry, nuclear authorities and safety organizations, waste management organizations, nuclear services providers, nuclear technology and engineering centers, international organizations, European networks and associations. Joint Opening and Closure sessions, plenary FISA2019 and EURADWASTE'19 sessions, technical workshops and ENEN PhD Event&Prize composed the agenda of a three-day high-level scientific event, followed by three technical tours to unique nuclear research facilities and installations from Romania (TRIGA research reactor, ELI-NP, CANDU Fuel Fabrication Plant and Cernavoda NPP with its radioactive waste storage facilities).
Results achieved in some 100 Euratom projects in the fields of safety of reactors systems and radioactive waste management reviewed by most known European specialists highlighted the progress made by nuclear research and education at European level.
The two conferences revealed that nuclear research and technology development must be accompanied by appropriate actions to further develop and strengthen education&training, infrastructures, cooperation throughout EU and at international level.
Ensuring a top-level education&training, involving basic academic education as well as continuous professional development and capacity building, is of paramount importance to create a new generation of nuclear researchers and experts able to maintain high levels of safety in all fields, as well as address the challenges raised by advanced nuclear power and non-power technologies of European interest.
It is more and more urgent to assure adequate maintenance and strengthen a robust, enduring and efficient infrastructure base across the EU to underpin all aspects of research and innovation throughout the sector.
It is highly advisable to capitalize on European Platforms in nuclear energy and ENEN as they proved to be very effective in fostering and strengthening collaboration between research/academic institutes and industry. This successful mechanism of collaboration should be enhanced and further implemented.
International cooperation and synergies with initiatives launched by other international agencies like NI2050&NEST (OECD-NEA), ICERR, Collaborating Centres and E&T networks (IAEA), GIF task forces on infrastructure and E&T have to be encouraged and intensified.
There are significant cross-cutting benefits and synergies that can be realized between fission and fusion energy research programmes, as the latter evolves from activities focused on basic plasma physics to ones focused more on technology and safety-related aspects.
Good progress is being made towards an efficient continued implementation involving all important stakeholders through the EURAD European Joint Planning project.
With a broad audience and wide dissemination, FISA-EURADWASTE event brought a large visibility of the H2020 Euratom Framework Research Programme, promoting the research and innovation efforts across Europe in reaching the climate change objectives. The most relevant papers have been published in a fully open access journal EPJ-N, contributing to the scientific knowledge dissemination.
Communication of key activities and outcomes of the Euratom Programme raised the awareness of relevant European stakeholders and the general public on research and innovation benefits and on their contribution to European competitiveness, climate challenges and to the EU's transformation to a low-carbon energy system.
Bringing together different stakeholders and approaching a broad range of research fields, this event facilitated an effective interaction between all important stakeholders in nuclear energy from the EU and abroad and favoured initiation of future collaborations among research centres, academia and industry at national and European level.
Discussions during the thematic sessions enthused novel ideas with potential impacts on industry, society and the economy, stimulating an effective participation and commitment to R&I and implementation of innovative technologies to boost the European competitiveness,
Messages from different stakeholders on the future needs and the feedback of the H2020 projects implementation provided important input to be considered for the new R&I Framework programmes.
At national level, these Conferences increased the visibility of the Romanian research potential and opened new possibilities to enlarge its participation in the European nuclear research.
