Novel Instrumentation for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards (2015-2018)

Good stewardship of nuclear materials and an adequate response to threats that potentially involve nuclear materials are essential now and far into the future. In order to perform these nuclear safety, security and safeguards tasks, suitable instrumentation is needed. Finland has a long tradition and high competence in relevant research as well as in understanding the needs of the end-users of this research.

In the “Novel instrumentation for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards” (NINS3) project, R&D is performed on the following important topics:

• 1) Passive tomography of spent nuclear fuel
• 2) Alpha radiation threat detection and imaging from a distance
• 3) Active neutron interrogation of unknown objects

The project links directly to the national reorganization of radiation protection research, i.e., it is an integral part of the National Radiation Safety Research Program. The project partners are Helsinki Institute of Physics, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority STUK, Tampere University of Technology and a consortium of companies in Finland involved in or in need of radiation measurements.

Through the development of new technological concepts, the project will increase the technology readiness level in each of the R&D topics. Finnish industry will be strengthened by transferring the knowledge gained to companies for implementation in new commercial products and services.

The NINS3 project is funded through a FiDiPro – Finland Distinguished Professor – Programme financed by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. It runs from the beginning of 2015 until the end of 2018.