The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is hosting its first ever group wide Academic and Industry Research Forum.
The NDA is hosting its first ever group wide Academic and Industry Research Forum from the 27-29 February 2024, in Sheffield.
The event will bring nuclear industry specialists together with NDA group funded PhD students to share knowledge and learn about the cutting-edge research and innovations in nuclear decommissioning.
Rick Short, NDA University Interactions Research Manager, said: "This research helps ensure the challenges of nuclear decommissioning are fully understood, pushes the boundaries to explore emerging ideas and innovation, and seizes the opportunities created by the development of new technologies. We have put together an agenda that uses innovative sessions to promote knowledge transfer between specialist groups and supports the students transitioning from academia to roles within the nuclear industry.
The NDA is responsible for decommissioning the UK’s oldest nuclear sites, a significant challenge, dealing with some of the most complex and hazardous environments in the world, that require the development of first of a kind engineering and design solutions.
The NDA group is currently funding 150 PhD students as part of its commitment developing the next generation of subject matter experts and technical leads accelerating the clean-up of the UK’s civil legacy.
Former students are already putting theory into practice, for example, in 2013 Matthew Nancekievill undertook an NDA sponsored PhD in robotics at the University of Manchester. He went on to co-found Ice Nine Ltd which supported the development of Lyra, a robot deployed on the NRS Dounreay site to inspect ventilation ducts which were impossible for humans to access due to their size and the radiological risks.
The event will be co-located with the annual Nuclear Waste and Decommissioning Research Forum (NWDRF) Nuclear Frontiers conference, providing a fantastic opportunity for students and industry representatives to mingle, share ideas and showcase work.
Scheduled events focused on industry will occur on the 28th February.
Topics include:
- Deploying new technologies on sites: Challenges and opportunities.
- Strategic research collaborations: Building for success.
- Innovation and regulation: Finding new ways forward.
- Nuclear decommissioning: Developing a strategy for the future.
- There will also be updates from our NWDRF Working Group leads and the NDA Subsidiaries.
Limited spaces are available, please register for the event before 20th February.
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