ATOMEX

Background:

The increase in maritime traffic, goods and population flows is changing the risk picture in the Arctic. The recent increase in nuclear-powered ships and ships transporting spent fuel and radioactive material is leading to new uncertainties in risk assessment and complex challenges in cross-sectoral cooperation in the event of radiation emergencies at sea in the Arctic.

Project objectives:

The ATOMEX project takes an interdisciplinary approach to cooperation and risk assessment of nuclear preparedness and response in Arctic shipping. The focus is on developing a common understanding of risk assessment between communities, search and rescue services, radiation protection authorities and the maritime industry. To this end, the project focuses on training methods that can improve collaboration skills to meet the challenges of complex emergency response. The project also aims to develop a new intelligent algorithm-based model to support decision-making in Arctic waters and an interactive, browser-based data visualization.

Advanced simulator technology is used in the validation tests through the use of the EMSN Connect network. Here, the evaluation of nautical safety and control is carried out by the Fraunhofer CML in the simulator-based exercises of Nord University.

Two Norwegian partners outside the research area - the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Norway and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority - ensure the relevance of the project objectives to real societal challenges in the field of nuclear emergency preparedness and the uptake of the project results.

The novelty of the project also stems from the technical-scientific perspective - the development of a new intelligent algorithm-based model to support decision-making in Arctic waters, the validation tests using state-of-the-art simulator technologies and the development of innovative digital assessment tools.

Tasks of the CML:

In ATOMEX, the CML is responsible for identifying and recording all relevant environmental parameters that are to be incorporated into the risk assessment and the development of a new intelligent, algorithm-based model to support decision-making in Arctic waters. The European Maritime Simulator Network EMSN Connect, which is operated by the CML, will also be used for this purpose.

Project consortium:

Nord University (Norway), Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and Fraunhofer CML, supported by non-academic actors - Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Northern Norway.

ATOMEX is funded with NOK 8 million by the Research Council of Norway.