Research on nuclear materials and waste to be strengthened with new partnerships within the EU
Two new major partnerships for research on materials in nuclear energy and nuclear waste management have been launched this autumn. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) actively participates in the partnerships and also contributes with research funds to projects that are granted funding. A total of three partnerships are now ongoing, distributing altogether 70 million euros over a period of five years.
Development and manufacturing of advanced materials in nuclear technology, advanced modelling, encapsulation materials and waste from SMR reactors are some of the research areas that have the opportunity for receiving funding. It is the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) who finances research with a total of 70 million euro, through three major partnerships.
The partnerships give the member states the opportunity to co-fund research projects through its authorities, research institutes and universities, with Euratom providing just over half of the funding for the projects that are granted funding.
“These are large and very exciting research programs that are in line with our national strategy to strengthen research in the fields. In the long term, we see that this can also contribute to Sweden's national competence, which is important for radiation safety in Sweden and the world around us”, says Per Seltborg who is head of research at the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.
In total, SSM has a budget for research funding, which from 2025 will amount to approximately SEK 140 million annually. The financing is organized through a series of collaborations, both in international contexts and directly with Swedish research groups and universities.
Three partnerships are ongoing
The first of the three partnerships, PIANOFORTE, started in 2022 and is focused on research in radiation protection for the public and the environment from ionizing radiation. The other two partnerships, CONNECT-NM and EURAD-2, started in October 2024.
CONNECT-NM is focused on nuclear materials. Within this area, for example modern digital technology is used to apply advanced materials science methods. The work will be organized in five research lines, and mainly includes four different types of materials: concrete, metallic structural materials, fuel casing and fuel cut.
EURAD-2 aims to facilitate for the member states to fulfill the nuclear waste directive, which requires, for instance, the safe handling and final disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, but also other radioactive waste. EURAD-2 is a follow-up to the EURAD-1 program, which was considered successful and an efficient way of distributing research funds within Europe.
“We actively participate in Euratom's partnership to create the best possible conditions for Swedish research groups to be able to participate in the joint research project and receive funding from the EU's research budget. The participation also provides the opportunity to influence the direction of research, strengthen national competence, and share research results”, says Per Seltborg.
SSM has a policy and strategy for research funding that is aimed at contributing to the national competence supply in areas that use ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. These are areas such as nuclear power and nuclear waste, but also medical irradiation, UV radiation, cosmetic laser and radon etc. The policy and strategy also underline the other main purpose of the authority's research mission, to strengthen the other missions within standardization, supervision, permit review, knowledge provision and emergency preparedness.