Radioisotopes are indispensable in nuclear medicine, industrial diagnostics, scientific research, space exploration and environmental monitoring.

Among these, medical applications represent the largest and fastest-growing market, driven by the rise of targeted radiotherapies, new diagnostic techniques, and increasing clinical demand. However, industrial, scientific, and environmental uses — from non-destructive testing to sensor calibration and from powering exploration vehicles on other planets to unlocking the secrets of subatomic physics — also require a resilient, flexible and sustainable isotope production system.

Underpinning all radioisotope applications — medical and beyond — is a production and supply chain with infrastructures and services...

 that depend on a finely tuned integration of scientific disciplines, advanced technologies, and industrial processes. This interconnected system requires expertise in nuclear physics and radiochemistry, with complex infrastructure such as reactors and accelerators, which operation demands rigorous regulatory compliance -all within a landscape that continuously requires innovation, scalability, cost-efficiency, and close international collaboration.

IRIS offers a dedicated forum for the global radioisotope production community to come together for the first time

— not only to discuss challenges, but to share technical progress, identify synergies, and enable new collaborations. By bringing together producers, technology developers, regulators, and end-users across all sectors, this event will help build stronger, more connected supply chains and stimulate the innovation needed to meet demand.

IRIS 2026

International Radioisotope Supply Chain Meeting

IRIS is a side meeting of the European Research Reactor Conference (RRFM) 2026.

Participants may choose to register exclusively for IRIS 

Target Audience

    • Radioisotope producers
    • R&D organisations, Universities
    • Pharma and CMOs
    • Infrastructure and equipment suppliers
    • Scientific and industrial isotope users
    • Regulators and health authorities
    • Policy and decision makers

Programme

The full programme of IRIS 2026 will be published in January 2026

Programme Outline
Monday 20 April 2026

9:00 am – 11:00 am – Opening Session: From Innovation to Implementation

  • Chair: Ronald Schram, NRG, The Netherlands – Introductory notes
  • Nicolas Mario, Vincent Brechin, NucAdvisor: Interdependencies and challenges along the radioisotope supply chain
  • Ulli Koester, ILL, France: From PRISMAP to PRISMAP+: introducing emerging radionuclides for medical applications
  • Nicholas van der Meulen, PSI, Switzerland:  Radionuclide production from bench to bedside – the example of Terbium 161
  • Sven Van den Berghe, PanTera, Belgium:  The challenges of developing a radioisotope supply chain  – Actinium-225
  • Neil Quigley, ITM Radiopharma, Germany: Establishing a reliable supply chain for Lutetium 177

11:00 am – 11:30 am – Coffee Break

11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Plenary Session: Expanding Horizons

  • Chair: Rachel Eloirdi, JRC – Introductory notes
  • Tor Bjornstad, University of Oslo, Liv Stavsetra, IFE, Norway: Radionuclides in industrial, agricultural, civil society and environmental applications
  • Stephanie Barron, ESA: Radioisotope Use for Space Exploration and Developing a European Capability
  • N.N. ORANO, France: Extraction of isotopes from waste – turning by-products into valuable resources

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Lunch Break

From 2:00 pm, continued on Tuesday, 21 April – Technical Sessions

Session: Stable Isotope Separation Technology

  • Linda Ashton, Urenco, UK: Advancing Stable Isotope Separation – Technologies and Applications

 

Session: Target Production

  • Ferid Haddad, Arronax: Target Preparation, Cross-Section Reactions, and Side Products – Implications for the Supply Chain

 

Session: Irradiation

  • Jean-Michel Geets, IBA: Particle Accelerator for Radioisotope Production – Building Global Supply Chains for a Growing Demand

 

Session: Target Processing and Infrastructure

  • Marnix Bogert, Field Lab: Enabling Efficient Radioisotope Production and Supply

 

Session: Transport

  • Hans Van De Maele, PHSE International: Connecting the Dots – Transportation as the Backbone of the Radioisotope Supply Chain

Keynotes will set the stage for each topic, sparking dialogue and framing the challenges ahead.

Accepted contributions from the Call for Papers will continue the conversation—sharing insights, practical solutions, and forward-looking developments from across the radioisotope value chain.

Join us and be part of the exchange!

Speakers

Join our keynote speakers for a rich and dynamic exchange across the radioisotope community!

Linda
Ashton

Head of Department – Isotopes

Urenco

Barron

Stephanie
Barron

Nuclear Power Engineer | Energy Storage Section, TEC-EPB

European Space Agency

230530-Bilde-1 TBJ

Tor
Bjørnstad

Professor Emeritus

University of Oslo

geets

Jean-Michel
Geets

Domain Principal Expert

IBA RadioPharma Solutions

n&b_Haddad Ferid

Ferid
Haddad

Director

GIP Arronax

portrait-ulli-farbig

Ulli
Köster

Research Scientist

Institut Laue-Langevin – ILL

mario

Nicolas
Mario

Head of Market & Supply – Nuclear Medicine

NucAdvisor

Neil
Quigley

Team Leader & Senior Global Product Manager

ITM Radiopharma

Hans
Van de Maele

Business Development Manager for Radiopharma

PHSE

nick van der meulen

Nicholas P.
van der Meulen

Group Leader: Radionuclide Development

Paul Scherrer Institut

Pantera

Sven
Van den Berghe

CEO
PANTERA

Sponsors

Gold Sponsor

The development of the Programme is supported by the IRIS Experts Committee

 

Name

Affiliation

Country

Steven van Dyck

SCK CEN

Belgium

Antonia Denkova

TU Delft

The Netherlands

Sandra Barithel

Orano

France

Bertrand Stepnik

Framatome

France

Jerome Estrade

ILL

France

Nick Van Der Meulen

Paul Scherrer Institut

Switzerland

Remigiusz Baranczyk

Euratom Supply Agency

International

Sven Van den Berghe

Pantera

Belgium

Zeynep Talip

Paul Scherrer Institut

Switzerland

Ronald Schram

NRG | Pallas

The Netherlands

Liv Stavestra

IFE

Norway

Tor Bjørnstad

University of Oslo

Norway

Registration

Registrations will open in January 2026

 

 

 

IRIS Registration Fee:

  • Single fee: 500€ (ex. VAT)

Included:

  • 2-day conference
  • Coffee breaks and lunch breaks
  • Evening reception

If you are also interested in joining RRFM2026 and/or SMaRRt, please check the registration fees here.

Info Point

The International Radioisotope Supply Chain Meeting – IRIS 2026 – Venue

The International Radioisotope Supply Chain Meeting – IRIS 2026 will take place in the Hilton Garden Inn Leiden.

Hilton Garden Inn 

Willem Einthovenstraat 3
Oegstgeest, 2342 BH, Netherlands 

The Leiden Hilton Garden Inn is located just 15 minutes from Leiden city centre and central station (see Google Maps).

 

GETTING THERE

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is just 15 minutes from Leiden by direct train (see Google Maps). Leiden Central Station is one of the ten largest in the Netherlands and offers convenient connections to high-speed rail services to Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The city is also ideally situated between the A4 and A44 motorways, providing easy access to international road networks across mainland Europe and the UK via North Sea ferry connections.

Leiden, the City of Science

Leiden is a historic and vibrant city known for its rich scientific and cultural heritage. Home to the Netherlands’ oldest university and the country’s largest life sciences cluster, the Leiden Bio Science Park, the city is a hub for innovation and research. With its charming canals, centuries-old monuments, and world-class museums, Leiden offers a unique setting for international conferences and is among the top five congress destinations in the Netherlands.

Rapenburg, ©Kees Hummel

VISA

Citizens from countries outside of the Schengen area might need a visa to enter the Netherlands.

Upon request, the European Nuclear Society will prepare a visa invitation letter for delegates whose registration fees have been received in full. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to give any further support to the visa application process. Obtaining a visa remains the sole responsibility of the participant. Regular cancellation deadlines apply, regardless of whether your visa was granted or not.

ORGANISER

European Nuclear Society

Avenue des Arts 56
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Email: conferences@euronuclear.org 

Call for Papers

The IRIS Meeting offers a platform for professionals and organisations working at every stage of the radioisotope value chain to share insights, practical solutions, and forward-looking developments. The goal is to foster exchange between those advancing isotope production technologies and those applying isotopes in medicine, industry, science, and beyond.

We encourage contributions from organisations and individuals engaged in isotope R&D, separation, production, processing, infrastructure development, logistics, regulatory oversight, policy making and end-use applications — across both public and private sectors. Whether your work supports the supply chain of emerging radionuclides for cancer treatment, established industrial sources like iridium-192 and cobalt-60, or advanced reactor and accelerator techniques, IRIS aims to capture your expertise.

We also encourage submissions highlighting the use of radioisotopes in industrial applications such as radiography (e.g. Ir-192, Co-60), gauging and process control (e.g. Cs-137, Am-241), sterilization, radiotracing, well logging, and environmental monitoring. Contributions from equipment manufacturers, service providers, and end-users are welcome—especially those addressing production challenges, logistics, regulatory aspects, or case studies that illustrate the impact and evolving needs of industrial and environmental radioisotope use.

Submissions are encouraged on the following topics:

 

Targets and Target Management

  • Target manufacturing and materials science
  • Target design for reactor or accelerator irradiation
  • Target stations and handling systems
  • Stable isotope production for target enrichment
  • Target degradation, recycling, and waste treatment

Separation Chemistry and Processing

  • Radiochemical separation techniques:
    • Liquid-liquid extraction
    • HPLC, ion-exchange, and chromatography
  • Isotope enrichment and separation methods:
    • ISOL, EMIS, AVLIS, molecular laser separation
  • Scaling and automation of processing methods
  • Radiopurity and impact on downstream applications

Irradiation Platforms: Reactors and Accelerators

  • Neutron activation in research or power reactors
  • Fission-based isotope production (e.g. Mo‑99)
  • Cyclotron irradiation techniques and targetry
  • Photonuclear and spallation methods
  • Multi-purpose irradiation facilities and scheduling models
  • Ion accelerators

Logistics and Transport

  • Transport of sealed and unsealed radioactive sources
  • Generator systems (e.g. Ge‑68/Ga‑68, W‑188/Re‑188) for decentralised production
  • Container design, shielding, and compliance
  • Customs clearance and international regulatory frameworks
  • Coordination of multi-national supply chains (just-in-time logistics)

Innovation in Infrastructure

  • Hot cell technologies and facility layout
  • Equipment for automation of radiochemical separation

Innovation and industrial applications

  • RTG
  • labelling
  • etc …

Mark your diaries and be a part of it! Upload your abstracts before 28 November 2025.

INSTRUCTIONS AND DEADLINES 
Next steps

Deadlines

Abstract Submission

28 November 2025

Author Notification

18 December 2025

Full Paper Submission

13 March 2026

PowerPoint Presentation due 10 April 2026
IRIS 2026 in Leiden 20 – 21 April 2026

For abstract submission, please go to the IRIS 2026 Online Abstract Submission System

IRIS is an ENS conference

developed with the support of the ENS Corporate Members