In early June, our colleagues Dr. Tobias Hein, Alexander Kummer, and Haoyuan Liu attended the VDI Wissensforum on the topic of decommissioning nuclear facilities.

For two days, the focus was on the technical, legal, and organizational challenges of decommissioning projects. The diverse program featured presentations on building decommissioning, dismantling, repurposing, and the search for a final repository. Particularly exciting: there were also insights into the practical benefits of robotics and augmented reality in the dismantling process—true sources of innovation for the industry.

Additional fascinating insights were provided into the planned repurposing of nuclear facilities from the perspectives of society, energy research, and energy generation. For example, Tobias Bühler, mayor of the municipality of Gundremmingen, spoke about the opportunities and challenges, while Dr. Marc Zimmer and Dr. Philipp Sauter outlined developments in Germany toward nuclear fusion.

With many interesting presentations and equally exciting encounters with old acquaintances and new contacts—the event was a complete success!