Network of Excellence for Actinide Sciences
ACTINET is a consortium gathering more than twenty-five European research institutions, and is dedicated to actinide sciences. The consortium is supported by the European Commission under a four year contract established in March 2004 within the sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.
Although the nuclear industry has now come to maturity and operates nuclear plants with a high level of safety and efficiency, some issues in the field of the back-end cycle and resource management remain open. Research and Development are needed to explore new concepts for nuclear energy generation that make better use of fissile material and generate less waste. One other major issue requiring intensive Research and Development programs remains a broadly agreed approach to waste management.
All these issues require expertise and improved knowledge of the processes involved in the behaviour of nuclear fuels in reactors, spent fuel treatment, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the processes governing the behaviour of high level waste in storage and disposal systems.
Advanced research in actinide sciences is therefore recognized as one essential endeavour for further development of a dynamic, competitive and sustainable knowledge-based nuclear industry.
The objective of ACTINET is to take steps in order to bring both research infrastructures and human expertise in Europe to an adequate performance level, thereby contributing to the development of the European Research Area in the fields of physics and chemistry of actinides.
The three lines of action are:
- Stimulating the emergence of a European infrastructure policy by pooling the major actinide laboratory facilities
- Promoting excellence by supporting ambitious shared research programmes, taking advantage of the pooled facilities
- Increasing the attractiveness of actinide sciences among European students and young researchers, and allowing the next generation of actinide scientists and engineers to gain hands-on experience as part of their training.
