DAEJEON — The Advanced Radiation Technology Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) will again serve as an international hub for radiation fusion technology.
KAERI said on the 16th that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has re-designated the institute as an IAEA Collaborating Centre. It marks the fourth consecutive designation.
An IAEA Collaborating Centre is part of an international cooperation network in which the IAEA designates specialized institutions in each field to support member states' research and development, education and training programs. Designation means the IAEA has recognized the institution as having expertise and capability in a specific field. There are currently 90 centres in 43 countries.
The Advanced Radiation Technology Institute became the first radiation research organization in South Korea to be designated an IAEA Collaborating Centre in 2012, and has since served as a hub for radiation fusion technology through two re-designations in 2017 and 2022. The latest designation extends its status through 2030.
As an IAEA Collaborating Centre, the institute has run international education programs on radiation, taken part in joint research projects organized by the IAEA, hosted international conferences including Atoms for a Healthy Planet in 2025, and participated in the IAEA's Technical Cooperation Programme.
The institute will continue working with the IAEA on the use of radiation such as gamma rays, electron beams and neutrons in the environment, biotechnology, materials industries and mobile electron accelerators.
KAERI said it plans to further strengthen international cooperation in the radiation field and actively share domestic radiation technology and research experience with member states.
"This proves once again that KAERI is a globally recognized, leading institution in the radiation field," said Lim In-cheol, acting president of KAERI.
The plaque ceremony was held at IAEA headquarters in Austria on the 15th, attended by Jeong Byung-yeop, head of the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, and Najat Mokhtar, IAEA deputy director general.
