Nuclear knowledge

Definition

Nuclear knowledge comprises knowledge that is specific or relevant to nuclear related activities, including, but not limited to, scientific and technical engineering knowledge. Nuclear knowledge exists at all levels and in all sectors within the industry. A wide variety of stakeholders will legitimately claim an interest in managing, using, applying, developing and sharing nuclear knowledge — each with their own objectives, requirements, and limitations.

Summary

Nuclear knowledge is unique in many ways — different from knowledge developed and used in other industrial domains. It is complex, involving high development costs often requiring significant governmental support. Nuclear knowledge must be developed and retained over long time frames to service operational nuclear facilities and over even longer time frames to enable global sustainable growth. Special constraints exist due to the dual (peaceful and non-peaceful) nature of nuclear technology, and these characteristics have often led to serious public concerns. As further elucidated below, these unique characteristics make efforts to effectively manage nuclear knowledge most desirable or even mandatory.

In response to an increased awareness of the importance to manage nuclear knowledge in many Member States, the IAEA has published a number of technical guidance documents (including nuclear management objectives [9]) containing the highest level issues for knowledge management that are commonly agreed as being relevant and applicable to activities in the nuclear sector.

Basic scientific nuclear knowledge has been accumulating for around one hundred years but this has been further enhanced through practical experience of its application over the last sixty years. The combination of this ‘pure and applied’ nuclear knowledge has brought our understanding to its current mature stage, with significant contributions being made to a wide variety of secondary applications. However, this extensive portfolio of nuclear knowledge — often derived with government support — is beginning to exceed present commercial demand with the consequence that some of it is in danger of being permanently lost. The risk is compounded by the fact that there is an absence of effective systems for transferring the knowledge between successive generations.

Nuclear knowledge is different from the knowledge developed and used in other industrial domains. It is very complex and has high investment costs, which often require massive governmental support. It must be developed and retained over very long timescales to service operational nuclear facilities and even longer timescales to enable global sustainable growth. Special constraints exist to limit its unrestricted dissemination, due to the dual (civil and military) uses of nuclear technology. These unique characteristics mean that there is an unwritten obligation for the industry to effectively manage nuclear knowledge.

Description

Complexity

The effective use of nuclear power and other nuclear applications for the benefit of humanity at large requires highly complex and multifaceted knowledge of several disciplines, including many branches of basic science and engineering, law, economics, finance, commerce, management and public communication. The acquisition of considerable nuclear knowledge is a necessary pre-requisite for any country aspiring to harness the benefits of nuclear science and engineering. The uniqueness of this technology, especially the strict requirements for proper control, necessitates an intensive knowledge base in considerably more breadth and depth than for other technologies. Owing to this complexity, and in contrast to other resource types, the nuclear knowledge base is finite — both at the national and international levels. Whereas it may be possible to inject huge financial resources into some areas of endeavour to greatly accelerate progress, such as building low income or temporary housing to provide accommodation in the aftermath of a natural disaster, there is simply no way to short-circuit the time necessary to create or re-create nuclear knowledge. Once a crucial piece of it is lost, the time necessary to recreate such unique knowledge is very substantial.

High costs

Largely due to its complexity, the development of nuclear knowledge is quite costly. Nuclear facilities, including many experimental facilities, are large, incorporating highly sophisticated components. Highly specialized multidisciplinary problem solving skills are required of nuclear professionals. The development and retention of the necessary human resources required for success are inherently expensive. Due to this cost, a high level of government support and close monitoring of activities is essential during the development, application and transfer of nuclear knowledge.

Long term development and utilization

The timescales involved in generating nuclear knowledge are relatively long due to the long gestation periods of nuclear facilities for research and industrial applications. The knowledge developed in each area of application is required to be preserved over several decades and effectively transferred to successive generations of professionals, due to the very long life cycles of many nuclear facilities.

Importance of international cooperation

Nuclear knowledge has been used successfully in the past by many countries as a catalyst for socioeconomic development. It is becoming increasingly clear that a wide range of benefits can be obtained from the appropriate use of nuclear power and other nuclear applications. However, the ‘appropriate’ use presupposes a certain level of maturity in the industrial and societal context, especially in terms of accountability and decision making systems and a general awareness and understanding of nuclear issues beyond mere technological aspects. Hence, it is not surprising that international cooperation has played a crucial role in the development of nuclear knowledge right from the very beginning of its application for civilian purposes. Indeed, the importance of international cooperation to any country embarking on a nuclear programme today is a unique characteristic of nuclear science and technology.

Balance between sharing and protection

The inherently dual nature of nuclear technology necessitates constraints on the sharing of nuclear knowledge. In contrast to knowledge in other scientific domains, the sharing and use of nuclear knowledge are restricted due to concerns about nuclear safeguards and proliferation. On the other hand, ensuring safety requires ready availability of high quality, well documented experience and knowledge. The risk to nuclear safety from the loss of or lack of access to nuclear knowledge could be very high. Thus an appropriate balance between nuclear safety and safeguard requirements needs to be established in managing nuclear knowledge.

Government involvement

Owing to the long term return on investment compared with other industries, as well as safety, security and non-proliferation issues, a high level of government involvement and close monitoring of activities is essential during the development, application and transfer of nuclear knowledge. This involvement is necessary not only to underwrite a large portion of the development cost but also to manage nuclear liability (including its trans boundary nature), nuclear safety concerns and the prevention of nuclear knowledge misuse under all circumstances.