A meeting took place on 11 September in Nizhny Novgorod between representatives of ISTC and senior directors of the Russian Federation nuclear institutes VNIEEF and OKBM.Cooperation in atomic energy was discussed and as a result a protocol was signed. Areas of future cooperation will focus on:

• nuclear and radiation safety during operation of nuclear power plants
• novel reactor concepts
• nuclear material accounting and control
• nuclear power plant decommissioning
• Fusion
• New information technologies for application in Nuclear Power Stations
• Nuclear technologies for medicine

During the meeting, a review of ISTC’s extensive contribution to the development of the Russian nuclear sector was presented.

Commenting on outcomes of the meeting, ISTC Executive Director, Adriaan van der Meer, said: “The review confirms ISTC’s contribution to the development of a safe, modern, Russian nuclear industry in all its aspects. Equally important is that new medicinal diagnostics based on nuclear technology were developed as a result of ISTC projects. ISTC intends to continue these supporting activities.”
The review noted ISTC’s important contribution to the nuclear sector priority areas of the Russian Federation:
Accelerated development of the atomic energy sectorPromotion of Russian nuclear fuel cycle (goods, works and services) to world marketsConstruction of nuclear facilities inside and outside of the Russian FederationDevelopment of technologies and facilities related to (or spun off from) the nuclear fuel cycle
Further, the review confirmed ISTC’s significant contribution to the development of nuclear diagnostics in the medical field and nuclear applications to improve public health.
1. Russian Federal Nuclear Center - The All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC - VNIIEF)VNIIEF is located is Sarov, formerly Arzamas-16, a city in the Nizhni Novgorod region of Russia, 300 miles east of Moscow. The Institute was established more than 50 years ago for the purposes of progressing the Soviet atomic weapon project, and remains a closed city, requiring Russian Federation agreement on entry into the city. Current Sarov population is about 82,000.
Currently, VNIIEF is the largest research center in Russia and employs about 24,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and workers. VNIIEF is an aggregate of large programmatic institutions, integrated by a general scientific and administrative management.
http://en.vniief.ru/
2. OKBMJSC “OKBM Afrikantov” is a multidiscipline scientific-production enterprise of nuclear power engineering performing all types of activities in the development of reactor plants and production equipment of various purpose, from technical concept to its implementation, in-field supervision of the developed items during their service life including decommissioning.
Joint Stock Company «OKBM Afrikantov» was founded by Resolution of the USSR Government dated December 27, 1945 on the basis of Gorky Machine Building Plant Design Bureau as Special Design Bureau intended to create equipment for nuclear industry. Afterwards the OKB research area and workscope relative to creation of various nuclear reactors expanded and it was separated from the Gorky Machine Building Plant. Since January 1, 1964 it was subordinated to the USSR State Committee for Atomic Energy application. Presently OKBM is a part of State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom". In 1998 OKBM was named after I.I. Afrikantov - OKBM Chief Designer (since 1959) and Director (1954 - 1969).
OKBM is one of the lead design organizations in the industry, large scientific and production center of nuclear power engineering with multi-discipline design team, proper research, experimental and production facilities. OKBM scientific and production potential allows performing the entire complex of activities related to construction of various reactor plants and the whole range of equipment for them, including design documentation development, required analyses and R&D, fabrication and testing of pilot samples, mastering of production process, equipment fabrication and installation, startup and adjustment activities, commissioning, maintenance, equipment in-service maintenance at the operating sites and decommissioning.
http://www.okbm.nnov.ru

Background Information



Introduction.


The government of the RF is actively involved in the development of a safe nuclear energy sector.

A review has taken place regarding the ISTC projects in the nuclear field, since ISTC inception. 

The review has shown that ISTC has supported projects addressing key topics in nuclear technology and being of large interest for Russian Federation. In particular:
Development of innovative Nuclear Fuel Cycle, with enhanced non-proliferation features, in particular:
Partitioning and transmutation
Plutonium management and disposition
Novel nuclear reactor concepts, supporting cross-links between INPRO, GENIV, GNEP etc.
Particular successes in collaboration on Fast reactor concepts and different coolant technologies
Nuclear power safety of existing reactors with many projects addressing Severe Accident Management (SAM) and Life Time Extension of reactors
Nuclear waste management 
Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP)
Measurement and evaluation of nuclear and reactor data;
Benchmarking and development of computer simulation codes

ISTC has achieved particular successes also in projects other than nuclear power:
High Energy Physics in which ISTC facilitated extremely successful cooperation of Sarov and Snezhinsk with CERN.
Over 40 projects have been funded, for nearly $30 M.
Russian technology and ideas can be today found in KEY INSTALLATIONS of CERN: Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with its gigantic detectors: Atlas, Alice and CMS
Russian institutes are already today involved through ISTC in future LHC upgrade, in time perspective going to 2015
ISTC projects with CERN generated over $100 M bilateral or commercial contracts between CERN and Russian (including RosAtom) institutes.
In Fusion ISTC has funded projects preparing grounds for Russian participation in ITER and in supporting alternative to ITER fusion concepts 
Nuclear reactor concepts for space propulsion, in particular Mission to Mars
ISTC has actively supported nuclear knowledge management in difficult time of 90’s

ISTC has placed a focus on projects related to medicinal uses of nuclear technology. For example, ISTC has supported a number of projects leading to improved treatment and diagnostic, like Positron Emission Tomography, Boron Neutron Therapy, heavy ion therapy etc.



Conclusion.

ISTC has in the last 15 years been a Partner to Russia in the development of novel civilian nuclear technologies:

400 projects in the nuclear sector for up to $130 million USD 
170 Russian and CIS institutes involved

ISTC intends to be a player in the fulfillment of the Russian governmental target programs until 2012 and beyond.

ISTC is looking to engage Russian Federal Funding into ISTC Projects co-financing.