From May 18 to 22, Yan-Jie Schnellbach, Luis Pazos Clemens, and Sarah Friedrich attended the 47th Annual Meeting of the European Safeguards Research & Development Association (ESARDA) and the subsequent ESARDA/INMM/INMMJ Joint Workshop on Safeguards by Design on SMRs and AMRs at the European Convention Center in Luxembourg.

At the Annual Meeting, participants from research institutions, national authorities, and international organizations discussed opportunities and challenges in implementing safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These safeguards ensure that nuclear facilities and materials in non-nuclear-weapon states are used exclusively for peaceful purposes. Sarah Friedrich presented findings from her research on innovative safeguards technologies for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which pose additional challenges for the IAEA due to their novel reactor designs and new applications.

Immediately afterward, a workshop was held to bridge industry and the safeguards community, fostering early collaboration among key stakeholders. Discussions covered recent advancements in reactor development, as well as emerging topics such as AI, cybersecurity, and maritime reactors.