The French national congress organized by the French Association for Earthquake Engineering (#AFPS) took place from the 7th of November 2023 to the 10th of November 2023 in Guadeloupe (French Antilles). The topic of the congress was: “the seismic risk within a multi-risk context: understand, manage, prevent”.

At this occasion, Dr Thomas Heitz from the Structural Performance Analysis and Modelling Lab (LMAPS) of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) received the Jacques Betbeder-Matibet prize from the #AFPS. This prize rewards not only innovative works but also the significant contribution in the activities of the #AFPS. Thomas Heitz has been awarded not only for its work intitled: “development of a verification and validation methodology of nonlinear models: application to the seismic assessment of existing structures” but also for his contribution to gather experience feedback following the Kahramanmaraş earthquake which occurred on the 6th of February 2023 in Türkiye.

Further information

See the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) website

See the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) website

See the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC-NRS) website

At the invitation of the Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA), IRSN’s Director of European and International Affairs, M. Cyril Pinel, took part in the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands on October 23, 2023.

SIEW is an annual platform for energy professionals, decision-makers and commentators to share best practices and solutions in the global energy space.

To face climate change, many countries plan to largely deploy Small Modular Reactors. M. Pinel highlighted that by providing reliable and independent scientific expertise to the regulators and authorities, IRSN and other Technical Safety Organisations contribute to the global efforts towards a net zero carbon emission and a safe nuclear energy.

Alongside of the SIEW, M. Pinel participated in the third meeting of the France-Singapore Joint Committee for Science and Innovation (COSIMIX) held on October 23, 2023 in Singapore, at the Campus of Excellence in Research and Technological Innovation (CREATE), in the presence of Mrs Sylvie Retailleau, French Minister of Higher Education and Research, and Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policy and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF). This was an opportunity to highlight the long standing scientific cooperation between the Singapore Nuclear Research Safety Initiative of the National University of Singapore and IRSN.

Read more

• Joint Statement: Singapore and France strengthen their research and innovation partnerships at the 3rd meeting of the Joint Committee on Science and Innovation (french)
• SIEW website : https://www.siew.gov.sg/

The Director General of IRSN will be in Vienna from September 25 to 28, 2023 for the IAEA's annual General Conference. He will be meeting IRSN staff currently working at the IAEA. Several bilateral meetings with the directors of other TSOs are planned in conjunction with this event, in order to take stock of current or future cooperation.

The Director General of IRSN will also meet with members of the IAEA Board of Directors, and will speak at the Forum organised by INSAG, the advisory group responsible for advising the Director General of the IAEA on nuclear safety issues.

Finally, as Chairman of ETSON, Jean-Christophe Niel will take part in meetings of the ETSON Board with representatives of the IAEA and the European network of safety authorities WENRA.

To know more

67th IAEA General Conference | IAEA