Under the motto “Time as a Safety Factor: Opportunities and Challenges of Timely Nuclear Waste Disposal”, the safeND symposium took place for the third time from 17 to 19 September at the Radialsystem in Berlin. This year, the focus for the 350 participants from 18 nations was once again on international and interdisciplinary exchange regarding the current state of science in the field of nuclear waste management.

In his welcoming address at the start of the symposium, BASE President Christian Kühn pointed out that examining the factor of time in its various

dimensions is of central importance to the work of the Federal Office: “Time is a safety factor in nuclear safety. Guaranteeing the safety of nuclear facilities and the storage of radioactive waste requires a long-term perspective,” said Kühn. The background to this year’s main theme of safeND is the global situation in which the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste is making slow progress worldwide, while interim storage facilities are becoming increasingly full.

In his video greeting, physicist and science journalist Harald Lesch advised those present to use lessons from environmental psychology to anchor the search for a repository site in the public perception: “Look for allies. Find friends and people who have an interest in the topic. Proceed in small steps and find local projects with short time frames for successful results,” said Lesch.

The attendees had particular praise for the interdisciplinary orientation of the symposium, which is unique worldwide in the field of nuclear waste management. Everyone used the symposium platform for intensive exchange, and the spirit of networking was clearly palpable and visible throughout the three days. In terms of the preservation of expertise, this applied particularly to the students and early career researchers present. The “Young safeND” networking event and the workshop “Next Generation Networks and Possibilities – how to involve tomorrow’s experts” on Wednesday, as well as the workshop “Early Career researchers, knowledge retention and future developments in nuclear waste disposal and radiation protection” on Friday, offered younger participants opportunities to exchange information and learn about a professional future in the field of nuclear safety.

BASE is planning the next edition of the research symposium for 6 to 8 October 2027. The Young Scientists Award is to be presented for the first time within the framework of this fourth safeND. The prize is to be awarded to a young scientist whose thesis (from Bachelor’s to PhD) is related to nuclear safety.