IAEA forum to highlight benefits of nuclear technologies in industry

2015/17

Vienna, Austria

How the atom benefits industry is the focus of this year’s IAEA Scientific Forum. Leading experts, academics and industrial representatives from 30 countries will meet in Vienna, Austria, from 15 to 16 September 2015 on the side-lines of the IAEA General Conference to review the advantages of nuclear applications for industrial use, particularly as tools to make production cleaner, safer and more effective.
“Cutting-edge industrial technologies underpin the success of strong economies, in developed and developing countries alike,” said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. “Nuclear science and technology, in particular, can make a major contribution to economic growth and competitiveness, and have an important role to play in support of sustainable development.”
The two-day event, Atoms in Industry – Radiation Technology for Development, is open to the media and will be streamed live from the opening, set to start at 10.00 CET on 15 September 2015. The Scientific Forum will take place in Board Room D of the C-Building of the Vienna International Centre (VIC).
The Forum will be opened by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. Keynote speakers include:

• Sergey Kirienko, Chief Executive Officer, ROSATOM
• Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana
• Ratan Kumar Sinha, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy to the Government of India
• Jose Fidel Santana Nuñez, Vice Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba
• Lydia Parades Gutierrez, Director General, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ), Mexico

In addition, nuclear physicist, Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and Thiel Fellowship recipient Taylor Wilson, United States, will be speaking at the opening.
The six other sessions of the Forum will explore the various industrial applications of radiation technology:

• Session 1 Battling the Bugs looks at how radiation is used to sterilize medical equipment and produce more effective vaccines;
• Session 2 Linking the Chains explores how materials such as car tyres and cables can be made more stable, durable and resistant through radiation;
• Session 3 Solutions for Pollution focuses on the uses of radiation in tackling persistent pollutants, such as dye residues from the textile industry, and in the general treatment of wastewater and flue gases;
• Session 4 Tracing the Pathways reviews the well-established and efficient use of radiotracers in large-scale industries, such as petrochemical and mining;
• Session 5 Bolstering Safety and Quality discusses non-destructive testing (NDT), a key quality control tool that enables the examination of components in cars, airplanes and trains, as well as machinery and buildings to ensure safety and quality; and
• Session 6 Rays of Hope looks at the future of nuclear technology in industry, including nanoscale engineering and the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. 

The detailed programme and full list of speakers can be found here. Some of the experts are available for interviews. Please contact Luciana Viegas (l.viegas@iaea.org) or the IAEA Press Office for more details.
Accreditation
Journalists with permanent credentials to the Vienna International Centre need no additional credentials. We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation, to request it at UNIS Vienna.
Others should contact Theresa Mackay for accreditation. Please email press@iaea.org or call [+43-1] 2600-22048 or [+43-1] 2600-21273.