Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) are to collaborate with particle accelerator centre TRIUMF on nuclear and materials science and technology. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between CNL and TRIUMF identifies areas of cooperation that includes the delivery of joint research projects and the sharing of scientific information and equipment.
“CNL and TRIUMF have worked together constructively in the past to pursue joint research, and we see this agreement as an opportunity to really grow this relationship into the future,” says CNL Vice-President of Science & Technology Dr Jeff Griffin. “As Canada’s national nuclear laboratory, we see ourselves as a national asset that can be leveraged to help enable knowledge mobilisation, spur innovation and the development of intellectual property, and advance solutions to address both national and industry challenges.”
The work will focus on topics of mutual interest, including health sciences; materials sciences and radiation; analytical and imaging technologies; the processing and management of highly radioactive components; cyber security; and accelerator, particle detection, and reactor technologies. The agreement “opens new and exciting opportunities for synergy in the Canadian nuclear science landscape”, said TRIUMF Director Dr Nigel Smith. It will enhance Canada’s science on a number of fronts, “from making advances in accelerator science and nuclear research to training the next generation of scientific leaders and fortifying Canada’s strategic advantage in the development and production of critical life-saving medical isotopes,” he added.
CNL manages and operates sites across Canada on behalf of federal Crown corporation Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL). It provides a focal point for government, the nuclear industry, the private sector and the academic community to work together. It also supports the operation of Canada's nuclear fleet, and government priorities in clean energy, public health, environmental stewardship and national security. TRIUMF, established in 1968 in Vancouver, hosts the largest accelerator of its type in the world (a 520 MeV cyclotron) as well as the world's most powerful superconducting linear accelerator for rare isotope production.
Image: Inside TRIUMF's main accelerator building (courtesy of CNL/TRIUMF)
