The CLEANDEM project, with its collaboration of 11 partners from 4 EU countries, proposes a technological breakthrough associated to various dismantling and decommissioning (D&D) operational steps with an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Platform. The CLEANDEM strategy will be based on innovative detection technology systems that will constitute a toolbox for equipping an intelligent robotic platform for fully remote operations. The pre-identified technologies are low-cost sensThe CLEANDEM project, with its collaboration of 11 partners from 4 different EU countries, proposes a technological breakthrough for dismantling and decommissioning (D&D) operations of nuclear sites, employing an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Platform equipped with innovative radiological sensing probes. The aim of the project is to deliver a cyber physical system which will support the end-users’ operations, initially performing a radiological assessment of the area and then monitoring D&D operations throughout the final characterization of the plant. This will result in a 3D and fully detailed digital twin of the surveyed area augmented with radiological information provided by the sensors, thus enabling an efficient and effective planning of the dismantling actions and optimizing the nuclear waste sorting for reprocessing or for delivery to the final storage. Targeted impacts of the UGV Platform are to: save time, drastically reduce costs, minimize human intervention, improve workers and population safety and be greener; all of those driving the project execution to match the stakeholders’ expectation. The effectiveness of the UGV Platform will be assessed in an extensive testing and validation campaign that will be performed in laboratories, in simulated environment and finally on the field. A demonstration event in a real nuclear site, involving all project partners and external stakeholders, will conclude the three years project activities opening for further exploitation in the D&D market.

The mission of ENTRANCE is to develop and validate a comprehensive user-based ENTRANCE Toolbox for risk-based non-intrusive inspection (NII) of cross-border freight movements, with particular focus on the EU Customs Union border. The aim of the ENTRANCE Toolbox is to enhance border security practitioners’ capabilities to protect society against a wide range of dangerous and illicit materials with minimum disruption of cross-border flow of goods. ENTRANCE will deliver five main results: 1) Automated Risk Assessment, Threat Recognition and Information Sharing Platform (ENARTIS), 2) suite of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technologies for detecting contraband hidden in high-density cargo, 3) Enhanced relocatable unit for non-intrusive detection of wide number of threats including explosives, illicit drugs, chemical warfare agents, nuclear and radioactive materials (NR) and special nuclear materials (SNM) such as enriched uranium and plutonium, 4) Trans-European RPM network for passive detection of illicit nuclear and radioactive (NR) materials combining detection facilities of different types and technologies, and 5) Novel high-speed RPM detection technology for passive detection of NR with minimal disturbance of flow. The ENTRANCE Toolbox will be validated at the EU Customs Union border by five practitioner-led field trials chosen for their relevance, strategic position and feasibility.

The project aims to establish and clarify the benefits and added value of more aligned and harmonised regulations and standards for prioritised topics related to decommissioning and initial phases of radioactive waste handling, including shared processing facilities between Member States (MS). The project has a two-phase approach: first engaging with Stakeholders to assess needs and pros/cons for harmonisation and identify priority areas for deeper analysis (WP2). The second phase will pursue deeper engagement with Stakeholders to further assess the highest ranked priority areas in Work Packages (WP) focusing on (i) cross border services and cooperation (WP3), (ii) circular economy (WP4), and (iii) advanced technologies (WP5). These WPs will review (inter)national practices, capture lessons learned, and assess opportunities. WP6 on Regulatory Framework will identify regulatory differences between MS and evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with harmonisation, while quantifying the benefits of aligned regulations and proposing harmonisation methodologies. The project will: - support coordination between Stakeholders, - enhance existing commitments to facilitate sharing and exchange of knowledge and experience, - develop strategies for shared treatment and storage facilities, cross border services and cooperation, and explore additional mechanisms to build capacity in MS, - assess and clarify the benefits and any disadvantages of harmonisation, - deliver S&T-based solutions and share best practices by engaging and supporting coordination between different actors through the TSOs and regulators, - define conditions and opportunities of a high safety circular economy. The action will reinforce the activities of the EURAD, PREDIS, and SHARE projects, while encompassing MS national programs and the wider European Community, including i.e. ERDO, ENSREG, WENRA, IAEA, OECD NEA, IGDTP, SNETP, DigiDecom.

Increasing concerns about new threats related to a possible major accident on a nuclear power plant or a tactical nuclear explosion, linked with the war in Ukraine, impose to EU Countries to improve their current capabilities to prepare for and respond to these possible large-scale accidents. The need for advanced technologies, interoperable risk assessment tools, and comprehensive emergency coordination strategies has never been more critical. GUARDIANS will deliver advanced, cost-effective technologies, and strategies to improve disaster emergency management in Europe. The project will enable the development of advanced radiological technologies (radioactive gas sensor, active dosimeter network), innovative and scalable strategies for triage (video analyses, digital triage), decontamination, and medical countermeasures (hydrogel, new strategy for stable iodine distribution). Autonomous means such as drones and robots equipped for radiological measurements and enhanced observation capabilities will increase overall responsiveness. A central web-platform GUARDNET, built upon existing operational tools, will facilitate real-time information processing, synthesis, mission management, and simulation services, to support decision-making. The active participation of first responders/receivers and decision-makers, along with the execution of two field tests and the assessment of the alignment between population needs and authorities' response strategies will ensure that GUARDIANS produces a new and enhanced operational capability to respond effectively to a radiological or nuclear emergency. GUARDIANS will significantly enhance European Member States' ability by providing stakeholders with state-of-the-art capabilities, innovative technologies, and effective coordination strategies. This will accelerate the decision-making process, reduce intervention times, and mitigate human and environmental impacts through improved protection of populations and infrastructures.