Coordination of the European Research Community on Nuclear Materials for Energy Innovation

CONNECT-NM is a co-funded European Partnership on nuclear materials for all reactor generations that applies modern digital technologies to materials science practices for the acceleration of innovation. It implements plans elaborated in the ORIENT-NM CSA with 5 strategic goals: (1) Nuclear materials (NM) acceleration platforms; (2) NM test-beds for accelerated qualification; (3) Intelligent materials health monitoring; (4) Advanced methodologies for prediction of materials behaviour in operation; (5) NM knowledge organisation system. Accordingly, the work will be organised in 5 research lines: (1) Advanced materials development & manufacturing; (2) Materials & component qualification: testing, standardization & design rules; (3) Non-destructive examination & materials health monitoring; (4) Advanced materials modelling and characterization; (5) Nuclear materials knowledge & data management. Each research line will coordinate call-selected Projects. CONNECT-NM will centralize transversal activities for the benefit of all Projects: e.g. coordination & management; E&T and infrastructure access; communication, dissemination & result exploitation; interaction with stakeholders; data management. Collaboration is foreseen with international organisations and bodies dealing with safety, standardisation, data management, as well as with fusion & non-nuclear energy communities. All activities align with national and European initiatives on nuclear materials, strengthening R&D&I and avoiding fragmentation and duplication, with direct involvement of industry, TSOs and regulatorsas active partners and end-users.