Nuclear Research and Development Institutes in Central and Eastern Europe

The changing S&T paradigm has directly impacted the research and development institutes (RDIs) and in particular the nuclear RDIs. This report focuses on mapping the status with the statistical data, of 25 nuclear RDIs in 13 Central and Eastern European countries, and looks into the impact of S&T policies on these nuclear RDIs.

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The science and technology (S&T) sector is constantly and rapidly changing, and with today's challenges is even more complex and diverse than before. The changing S&T paradigm has directly impacted the research and development institutes (RDIs) and in particular the nuclear RDIs. National science budgets are increasingly constrained resulting in direct cuts in subsidies, pressuring RDIs to seek alternative sources of funding. With the global trend towards more knowledge-based economies, the concurrent demand for innovation has increased in the S&T sector, and furthermore to the RDIs. Hence RDIs, and nuclear RDIs in particular, which fail to adapt to the changing S&T paradigm, risk 'lagging behind' in management, structure, planning, and funding, which all directly affect the sustainability of the institution. After the second World War, RDIs in Central and Eastern Europe used to receive funding and guidelines from their governments. In the transition to the market economy, the mechanisms used to fund RDIs are changing, and the responsibility for defining the institutes' role and strategy is transferring to the institutes themselves.
Consequently, the IAEA initiated a Technical Cooperation Project in 2004 to support RDIs working in nuclear power and non-power applications in Central and Eastern Europe. There were two major aims of this project. First, was to map the status of nuclear RDIs with current up-to-date data, because although there is a widespread feeling within the nuclear community that some nuclear RDIs are in financial distress, there are no current and verifiable statistical data on this point. Second, was to assist institute managers and senior scientists in nuclear RDIs, to improve their management practices and improve access to national and international funding opportunities. This report is focused on the first aim, to map the status with current statistical data, of 25 nuclear RDIs in 13 Central and Eastern European countries including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and further looks into the impact of S&T policies on these nuclear RDIs.