Design Extension Conditions (DEC) analyses are generally carried out to assess the degree to which the Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) design can withstand challenging events that were not considered in the Design Basis Accident DBA scenarios [1], [2]. The objective is to get more confidence in the design robustness and to, eventually, identify hardware improvements and/or procedural measures to prevent accident progression towards severe conditions. These issues have introduced new challenges for Licensees, in terms of developing innovative approaches, identifying DEC events and related safety criteria, and for the Safety Authorities, in terms of building up the expertise needed for the approval of the DEC licensing issues.

The EURAD-2 project is a European research and development programme that aims to bring about a significant change in European collaboration to ensure the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste. Within the EURAD-2 project, the work package 11 „CLIMATE“, coordinated by ENEA, aims to identify knowledge gaps and provide recommendations for future research needs on the impact of climate change on radioactive waste management facilities and sites during construction, operation and post-closure phases.

VUJE, in cooperation with company EXE, has developed an animated 3D virtual reality model of the VVER 440 nuclear power plant, offering an immersive and realistic view of the primary circuit and safety systems for severe accident training.

The SAFER2028 National Nuclear Safety and Waste Management Research Programme is set to reach a key turning point with its upcoming Midterm Seminar, scheduled to take place in January 2026 as the projects from the three year period are ending and showing their results for the first time for the wider audience.

The European Commission has recently funded a project to support African countries in the development of their nuclear safety authorities using a specific INSC instrument, called Team-Up. This project involves many European TSOs & Regulators, as ASNR, Bel V, Bureau Veritas, CSN, STUK and SUJB. The global organization of the project is endorsed by Expertise France. 

The 4th European Nuclear Competition for Secondary Schools was a unique opportunity to showcase the creativity of secondary school students and to explore the exciting world of nuclear science.

The ETSON JSP Workshop 2025 brought together young professionals and experts from across Europe to share knowledge, exchange experiences, and discuss key topics in nuclear safety. 

The enrichment, geometry and overall configuration of the gas-cooled ALLEGRO reactor core resulted in an undesirable effect in the form of significant changes in reactivity even with a small movement of the control rods. Consequently, new technical solution with steel half-cylinder device (HCD) was proposed.

The UK Office for Nuclear Regulation has re-nominated Amentum’s Regulatory Support Directorate as the UK member of ETSON under the name RSD.

The Hotlab at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is a unique experimental facility for analysing highly radioactive materials – its 60th anniversary marks a milestone not only in the institute’s history but also in the history of Swiss nuclear technology as a whole.

Prof. dr. Leon Cizelj is the new Acting Director of the Jožef Stefan Institute.

Be it software updates, cloud services or external analysis platforms - modern IT systems rely on a large number of digital service providers. What brings efficiency also harbours new risks: This is because attackers can penetrate deep into well-protected systems unnoticed via an inadequately protected supply chain - even in safety-critical areas such as nuclear engineering. A new GRS research project looks at how such attacks unfold, which systems are particularly at risk, and how operators can protect themselves better.

The UK Government has established a Nuclear Regulatory Task Force to examine the regulatory approach to civil and defence projects.

Copenhagen Atomics, a Danish molten salt reactor developer, and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Switzerland’s largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences, have signed a large-scale experimental collaboration agreement.

In recent years, drones - also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, systems or devices (UAV, UAS or UAD for short) - have become increasingly important.