The NEA Expert Group on Robotics and Emerging and Advanced Techniques in the Nuclear Back-end (EGREAT) is organising a Workshop on the Use of Robotics and Advanced Technologies in Extreme Environments and Lessons Learnt (WEROBO). This workshop is being organised to promote the exchange of information on robotics and state-of-the-art techniques’ development and application.

Organised in collaboration with the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Fukushima College, Japan, the workshop will aim to provide lessons learnt from usage of robotic systems in complex scenarios includng a special session dedicated to the ongoing usage of robotic technologies and R&D efforts at the Fukushima Daichii NPP.

It will further feature sessions spotlighting the usage of robotic systems in extreme and demanding scenarios in other non-nuclear industries such as oil and gas, space and deep-sea mining industries. Held in recognition of the 15th anniversary year of the Fukushima Daichii NPP incident, the workshop will have a site visit to the Fukushima Daichii NPP and tour of other research facilities in the area such as the Naraha Remote Technology Centre.

Interested participants are invited to save the date for this Workshop and contact the NEA Secretariat for further details.

Registration fees:

• Experts from industry, regulators, technical support organisations (TSOs), research institutes and private entities: EUR 375
• Early career professionals (less than 3 years post graduation): EUR 195

Registration grants access to the main conference days of 26 October-29 October . Due to the limited venue capacity, participants are subject to a first-come first-serve basis.

The registration fees include:

• Attendance to the 3-day Workshop;
• Access to post-Workshop documents, including presentations and other conference proceedings;
• Coffee breaks, refreshments and lunch for all three days;
• Site visits to Fukushima Daichii NPP and Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development (Subject to availability and on first-come first-serve basis, and in line with registration procedures required by sites)

The Workshop will showcase an in-depth session of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and its decommissioning status as well as Japanese R&D efforts for Fukushima.The programme will also include dedicated sessions on the application of robotics in industries operating under extreme environmental and operational constraints. These domains include, but are not limited to, oil and gas, chemical processing, space exploration, and deep-sea or underground mining.

To submit an abstract, interested participants are invited to please download and submit the Word template (under 300 words) as a PDF file to the following email address: WEROBO@oecd-nea.org.  

Abstract submission deadline: 31 May 2026

Notification of acceptance: 1 July 2026

To ensure correct submission, participants are requested to submit according to the following guidelines

- The PDF title should include your NAME

-  Submission email with the subject key word ABSTRACT

Contributions that highlight cross-sector insights, technology transfer, and opportunities for collaboration between nuclear and non-nuclear communities are particularly encouraged. Participants are further encouraged to download the dedicated call for abstracts.