ENC2007 was organised
in co-operation with the Belgian Nuclear Society,
the IAEA and OECD/NEA, and with the support of
the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the VUB.
Among the sponsors were Suez, AREVA and Westinghouse.
The conference was co-chaired by the Conference
Chairman, Marcel Maris (VUB), and by Frank Deconinck
(ENS President).
A total of 700 delegates from
37 countries, including Korea, China, Japan and
the US, gave ENC2007 not just
a European but a truly global focus. The fact that
the delegates represented many varied stakeholder
groupings reflected the conference’s multidisciplinary
approach. In addition, there were 30 stands representing
67 companies and research institutes at the ENC2007 exhibition.
Exhibitors displayed their latest research data,
promoted their scientific programmes and networked
with delegates and visitors.
The ENC2007 conference
programme was built around a number of plenary
keynote sessions, panel debates and highly-focused
topical workshops. Among the subjects covered during
the plenary sessions were The Politics of Science
and Technology, Business and Institutions’ View
on Science and R&D, The Human Factor in Risk
Governance, The Politics of Sustainable Development
and The Benefits, Costs and Hurts of Nuclear Medicine.
Among the keynote plenary speakers at ENC2007 were
Roland Schenkel, Director General of the JRC; Luis
Echavarri, Director General of OECD/NEA and Alain
Bucaille, Senior Vice President for Research and
Innovation, AREVA.
The topical workshops covered
a large range of technical subjects, including
new reactor and energy technologies, the nuclear
fuel cycle (including waste, transport, dismantling
and partitioning & transmutation), nuclear
operations, medical applications, education and
training and socio-economic, political and ethical
issues. On the final day of the conference delegates
had a choice of three technical tours to take part
in: SCK-CEN’s research centre at Mol, Tihange
NPP and the IBA (Ion Beam Application S.A.) facilities
at Louvain-la-Neuve.