AI, Drones and Digital Tools Win IAEA Nuclear Innovation Awards

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation in the United Arab Emirates received the Artificial Intelligence award for its Intelligent Operational Nuclear Safety platform.

The IAEA has announced the winners of the 2026 ISOP Innovation Awards, honouring four deployed technologies that are already improving safety, equipment monitoring, radiation mapping and information management across the nuclear power industry. The awards are organised through the International Network on Innovation to Support Operating Nuclear Power Plants, known as ISOP, and focus on practical solutions that have moved beyond early concepts to deliver measurable results in working environments.

Launched in 2024, the programme has received more than 100 submissions from organisations around the world. These projects have been added to the ISOP Use Case Library, a searchable collection that allows nuclear operators, regulators and technology specialists to learn from proven ideas and consider how similar solutions could be adapted for their own facilities.

Artificial intelligence strengthens oversight at Barakah

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation in the United Arab Emirates received the Artificial Intelligence award for its Intelligent Operational Nuclear Safety platform. Developed with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, the system combines satellite remote sensing, machine learning and geospatial analysis to provide near-real-time environmental surveillance around the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.

Continuous monitoring allows regulators to identify climate-related risks earlier and examine key environmental indicators without relying only on conventional site-based observations. FANR's Mohamed Al Harbi said the recognition demonstrates the value of using artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to support nuclear safety.

China Nuclear Power Engineering Co. won the Advanced Instrumentation and Control category for a plant-wide network that monitors and diagnoses critical equipment. The system collects vibration, acoustic emission and conventional operating signals from rotating machinery such as pumps and fans, along with stationary equipment including main steam piping.

High-frequency data collection, edge computing, industrial bus technology and built-in equipment and protocol redundancy give plant teams a detailed view of equipment condition and support earlier fault diagnosis. The technology has been deployed across several HPR1000 reactor units, where it is helping improve operational safety, maintenance efficiency and economic performance.

Drone mapping reduces exposure to radiological hazards

UK-based Simplex Innovation received the Robotics and Drones award for its Advanced Aerial Radiation Mapping system, which combines drones, radiation detectors, geospatial tools and AI-assisted analysis to produce rapid, high-resolution information about radiological conditions.

The platform can collect data in areas that may be difficult or unsafe for people to enter, reducing potential worker exposure while improving situational awareness. Its possible uses include environmental surveillance, contamination assessment and emergency response, giving nuclear professionals a clearer understanding of radiation patterns across large or complex locations.

Simplex Innovation founder Sally-Anne Burris described the award as recognition of what can be achieved when technological expertise, industry experience and trusted collaboration are brought together to solve real operational problems.

Digital handover connects construction with plant operations

China's State Power Investment Corporation won the Other Innovations category for a lifecycle digital handover system that creates a structured information bridge between nuclear plant construction and decades of operation. The unified platform brings together engineering data, documents, three-dimensional models and asset information, making essential records easier to find, verify and use throughout a facility's working life.

This approach can reduce information gaps when responsibility shifts from construction teams to plant operators, improve data quality and help maintenance staff make better-informed decisions. Ding Weimin of the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute said the award reflects SPIC's work on nuclear power digitalisation and the growing importance of organised lifecycle data.

An international judging panel made up of IAEA staff and ISOP Network Steering Committee members assessed the entries for originality, complexity, repeatability and impact. The winners will be recognised during the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, scheduled for 14–18 September 2026, and will present their projects during a livestreamed session connected with the Nuclear Operators' Forum on microreactors.

The four winning projects show that nuclear innovation is increasingly shaped by tools already transforming other industries, including artificial intelligence, satellite observation, autonomous aircraft, edge computing and digital asset management. Their deployment inside real nuclear programmes gives operators practical evidence that these technologies can support safer, more reliable and more efficient plants.