The Advisory Board meeting brought together heads of the world's leading research centers, industrial corporations, regulatory bodies, international organizations, and specialized universities from Russia, China, India, Vietnam, the CIS countries, Jordan, Brazil, and other nations.

On September 29, 2026, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (INP AS RUz) hosted the 3^rd meeting of the Advisory Board of the International Research Centre based on the Multipurpose Fast Neutron Research Reactor MBIR (IRC MBIR). The event drew significant interest from the global expert community, bringing together over 150 participants from 72 organizations across 18 countries on a single platform.

Opening the business program, Stepan Kalmykov, Chairman of the IRC MBIR Advisory Boards and Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasized the role of the MBIR research facility as a key element of the megascience landscape and international collaboration in nuclear research. He also highlighted the importance of the IRC MBIR scientific program for closed nuclear fuel cycle (NFC), minimizing radioactive waste (RAW), and expanding the resource base of nuclear energy. "Nuclear science and nuclear energy have always driven development across numerous other fields, and today’s broad geography of participants – ranging from Korea and India to the CIS, Brazil, and African countries – is direct proof of this. The event has brought together leaders and experts from major scientific centers, industrial corporations, academic frameworks, sector regulators, and financial institutions, as well as representatives of international organizations and leading universities," noted Stepan Kalmykov.

The meeting was attended by Evgeny Abakumov, Deputy Director General for Science and Strategy, who noted the deep involvement of Rosatom State Corporation's management in the project's implementation and its integration into the global scientific agenda: "Holding the Advisory Board meeting in Tashkent is direct proof that the MBIR project is of genuine interest to the international scientific community. The IRC MBIR Consortium has outgrown the scope of a local project and become a global center of attraction for advanced nuclear thought. Leading research centers and corporations look toward the capabilities of our reactor facilities. This shows that we are creating a high-demand, foundational tool. It is precisely within the framework of multilateral expert dialogue that scientific and technological standards and strategic vectors for the development of global nuclear energy are formed for decades to come."

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Shavkat Ayupov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted the growing interest of specialized organizations in cooperation within the IRC MBIR framework and the significant momentum that operations at the reactor would provide to the development of global nuclear energy.

A welcoming address to the participants from Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute," was delivered by Alexander Blagov, the center's Vice-President. In his message, Mikhail Kovalchuk emphasized the role of megascience infrastructure in ensuring technological sovereignty and national security. He noted that the MBIR reactor under construction and the operational PIK reactor are two complementary facilities that cover the entire spectrum of neutron fluxes and are set to become a space for breakthrough technologies and international cooperation. The formation of a unified scientific program for megascience-class facilities is acquiring key significance. Mikhail Kovalchuk particularly highlighted the importance of integrating partners from the CIS into this process. On the initiative of the President of the Kurchatov Institute, a long-term strategy for the scientific and technological development of Russia and Uzbekistan was jointly developed, and MBIR itself is designed to become a key element of the global research strategy in the nuclear sector for decades to come.

Welcoming the meeting participants, Ilkham Sadikov, Director of the INP AS RUz and Academician, noted the importance of synergy between unique research facilities: "Today's meeting clearly demonstrates that modern nuclear physics and reactor technologies know no borders. Integrating the capabilities of the MBIR reactor under construction with the existing infrastructure of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, including our upgraded WWR-SM research reactor and accelerator complex, opens up fundamentally new horizons for applied science in the macro-region. We see immense potential in joint materials science experiments, verification of calculation codes, and radioisotope production. I am confident that combining our unique competencies and experimental facilities will build a reliable foundation for ensuring nuclear safety and the sustainable development of the peaceful atom."

Vasily Konstantinov, Director General of IRC MBIR LLC, outlined the key areas for expanding the platform and highlighted the project's technological prospects: "Currently, the membership of the International Research Centre continues to grow by attracting new Russian and foreign partners. Within the IRC's long-term research program, a promising direction is also the development of a low-power nuclear power plant design based on MBIR solutions. Given that a significant portion of the generated heat will be directed toward electricity generation, with a design capacity of around 50 MW, MBIR can serve as a prototype for a future energy platform and a demonstrator of technological solutions. In addition, the development and application of artificial intelligence tools at all stages of creating new solutions – from setting tasks to the practical implementation of results – is of significant value."

Delivering the IAEA's official address to the participants of the IRC MBIR Advisory Board meeting, Petr Chakrov, Head of the IAEA Research Reactor Section, emphasized the pivotal importance of materials science research for the advancement of the new nuclear energy era. The high expertise of JSC "SSC RIAR" (part of Rosatom's scientific division) – the construction site of MBIR and research organization – is confirmed by the institute's designation as an IAEA International Centre based on Research Reactor (ICERR). Petr Chakrov noted that the capabilities of MBIR, as the most high-flux fast neutron research reactor, set a new standard in the field of materials science research.

Evgeny Adamov, Scientific Director of the "Proryv" (Breakthrough) project, noted the leading role of JSC "SSC RIAR" research base in achieving the current technological level of nuclear energy and fostering its further development. Significant results have been achieved today in the experimental substantiation of nitride fuel and the development of calculation codes for next-generation fast neutron reactors. The IRC MBIR Advisory Board possesses the potential to expand international cooperation in the field of advanced nuclear energy.

Long Maoxiong, Deputy Secretary General of the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA), noted the willingness of the Chinese nuclear community to deepen practical cooperation with all partners and engage in a multilateral dialogue on building up the experimental potential of IRC MBIR, implementing joint research projects, and providing workforce training. He also emphasized the importance of building an inclusive network for international scientific and research cooperation in nuclear energy to ensure the technological progress of the industry as part of global clean energy.

Salem Hamdi, Director General of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA), emphasized the strategic importance of practical engagement between the Arab region and the International Research Centre MBIR (IRC MBIR) Consortium: "In February 2026, we took an important step by signing a strategic cooperation agreement that lays the foundation for joint scientific research and workforce training. We view today's Advisory Board meeting as a valuable opportunity to translate this agreement into practical terms. Areas of interest for Arab states include research od materials and fuel for Generation IV systems, non-power applications of peaceful atom including the production of medical radioisotopes, regional approaches to safe radioactive waste management, and the validation of calculation codes for regulators. A crucial vector is the establishment of a specialized Arab training center."

The meeting's agenda focused on applied engineering challenges and the synergy of research programs. Participants discussed the development of research infrastructure, research methodologies, strategies for national program development, and workforce training, as well as tasks for advancing nuclear energy technologies. As part of this agenda, NRC "Kurchatov Institute" presented a report on the infrastructure for synchrotron and neutron research and the development of international cooperation.

According to data from the Private Institution "Science and Innovations" (part of Rosatom), more than 800 research reactors have been built worldwide, with 234 reactors currently operational or temporarily shut down. They are utilized for fundamental research, materials testing, radioisotope production, and other objectives. Nikolay Arkhangelsky, an analyst at the Center for Analytical Research and Development (CARD) of the Private Institution "Science and Innovations," noted in his report that all countries and regions possessing research reactors have plans to extend reactor operational lifetimes and construct new facilities to replace decommissioning units. MBIR will occupy an exceptional place among global research reactors and will support materials science research for all Generation IV reactors, primarily fast neutron reactors. A crucial task for research reactors remains the production of radioisotopes, which will be ensured by existing, newly built, and under-development multipurpose reactors executing diverse research programs. "To ensure a robust foundation of research reactors in the second half of the 21st century, new reactors are being built and planned for construction in various countries and regions alongside existing ones," Nikolay Arkhangelsky emphasized.

The unique capabilities of MBIR will accelerate the development of dual-component nuclear power technologies and the closed nuclear fuel cycle (CNFC), as well as the creation of safe, Generation IV nuclear power plants, emphasized Andrey Shadrin, Deputy Director of the Private Institution "Science and Innovations" (part of Rosatom) and Head of Radiochemistry Division. "In Russia, the RT-1 plant has been operational since the late 1970s, with a comprehensive modernization planned by 2029. In 2024, a pilot demonstration center for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) reprocessing was commissioned in Zheleznogorsk, and the task is to bring it to its design capacity by 2029. In 2038, the launch of the reprocessing module of the industrial energy complex in Seversk is scheduled. The transition to CNFC requires new fuel reprocessing options. The technology developed within the 'Proryv' project already allows for the reprocessing of high-burnup SNF with short cooling times. MBIR is intended to be used for radiochemical research: testing accident-tolerant fuel (ATF), gas-graphite reactor fuel, as well as comprehensive studies of structural materials and fuel. The first step toward closing the fuel cycle has already been taken: MOX fuel for the BN-800 reactor is manufactured from plutonium separated from VVER spent nuclear fuel. In 2027, it is planned to begin reprocessing BN-800 spent MOX fuel, and in 2029, to manufacture refabricated MOX fuel, fully closing the fuel cycle," noted Andrey Shadrin.

The experience and prospects of implementing artificial intelligence in materials science were presented by the Faculty of Chemistry of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Experts from Arab region countries representing the atomic energy commissions of Jordan and Syria focused on safety and operation issues, including the functional reliability of digital control systems for advanced reactors, neutron activation analysis methods, and modern requirements for training operational personnel.

Additionally, experts addressed national program development strategies and workforce training. Rosatom Construction Technology presented personnel training capabilities tailored to specific project features and customer requirements, while VINATOM highlighted plans and prospects for research operations based on the MBIR reactor. The Indian Nuclear Society outlined the ongoing transformation of India's nuclear sector, highlighting its transition from a state monopoly to a market-oriented system. The Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission delivered a report on the potential for addressing national nuclear energy development goals within the IRC MBIR framework. Concurrently, the National Nuclear Energy Commission of Brazil (CNEN) shared its experience in leveraging innovations within non-power application domains of nuclear technologies.

Current research aimed at the development of nuclear energy technologies was highlighted by representatives of the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP), the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and JSC "Proryv." They addressed the conduct of testing in research reactors to substantiate the performance characteristics of materials and fuel for controlled thermonuclear fusion, reactor-accelerator systems, and fast neutron reactors. JSC "VNIINM" delivered a report on the fuel cycle for an experimental molten salt research reactor. Meanwhile, the Center for Development of Nuclear Technology (CDTN) of the National Nuclear Energy Commission of Brazil shared insights into Latin American initiatives in small modular and micro-reactor technologies.

Following the 3rd meeting of the Advisory Board, participants updated the requirements of developers of innovative power reactor systems and confirmed the IRC MBIR status as a key international network of experts committed to long-term scientific cooperation. 

For reference:

MBIR is a multipurpose fast-neutron research reactor with sodium coolant and the thermal capacity of approximately 150 MW. The reactor is under construction in Dimitrovgrad at the site of the State Scientific Center - Research Institute for Atomic Reactors (RIAR JSC, a part of the R&D division of Rosatom State Corporation) within the framework of the national technological leadership project "New Nuclear and Energy Technologies". Currently, work is underway on installing the equipment of the reactor's primary circuit: in 2025, the cold filter-traps of the emergency heat removal system loop were installed in their design positions. As part of the primary circuit installation, adapters of hot pipelines have been welded to the reactor vessel and the first pipeline blocks; the installation of the main process equipment in the sodium storage building has been completed; a fuel handling mechanism and steam-water washing sockets for spent fuel assemblies (FA) have also been delivered. In 2026, two emergency heat exchangers weighing 7.3 tons, 5 meters high, and 1.5 meters in diameter have been installed in their design positions.

MBIR is intended for performance of reactor tests, production of radioisotopes, production of modified materials, as well as testing of new type equipment and systems. The unique capabilities of the new reactor are expected to accelerate development of solutions for the two-component nuclear power and the closed nuclear fuel cycle, as well as design of safe Generation IV nuclear power systems. 

The International Research Center (IRC) in the form of an international consortium is established on the basis of MBIR reactor. The Consortium participants gain ‘fast track’ access to carry out the experiments needed for national programs of nuclear energy peaceful applications. The Consortium format allows for flexible use of the reactor resource for the demands of the scientific community. IRC MBIR Consortium is open to new members. The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Nuclear Physics Institute at the Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Shanghai ZDAN International, a Chinese company, have already joint the Consortium as the main participants.