Background
Radioactive material is used at industrial facilities worldwide for many important and beneficial applications. Irradiation using Cobalt-60 is critical to the food and healthcare industries and gamma irradiation is a dominant technology in India. Managing the security of this technology is therefore important to the long-term success of the industry and to the individual organisations that operate gamma irradiators. It is also important to understand the alternative technologies that are available to our industry so that it continues to grow and thrive.
Objectives
The Irradiation Industries Association of India (IIAI) and the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) successfully conducted a Technical Exchange that took place directly after the NICSTAR-2026 Conference in Mumbai, India.
Topics discussed included security fundamentals and best practice, cybersecurity and security-by-design for gamma irradiation facilities. An introduction to electron-beam technology was given and followed by a discussion about market conditions in India and the potential for this technology.
Audience
The meeting gathered a group of 35 participants representing operators and suppliers of gamma irradiators and electron-beam facilities.
Process
This full day meeting was built around presentations, panel discussions, Q&A and several opportunities for audience contributions. International and Indian experts were invited to share their experience and lessons learned on security and irradiation technologies.
An online electronic voting system allowed participants to anonymously provide their views on questions put to the audience. The workshop was held in English. The discussions were unclassified but subject to Chatham House rules (what was said can be reported, but not attributed).
