The first National Workshop in Research and Technology related to the Uses of Ionizing Radiation (RADION) in health, environment, food security and industry, was held from March 24-27 in Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of People's Power for Energy, and was attended by 441 professionals from ministries, universities, research institutions, and other organizations involved in the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology at the country-level.
Mr Ruben Machado, Director of the General Division of Atomic Energy, expressed, in his opening remarks, the workshop's aims, which include the establishment of a national forum to exchange experiences and knowledge, strengthen partnerships and working networks, and discuss national approaches to the wide uses of ionizing radiation.
During the four working sessions, 64 papers and posters were presented, including 15 keynote speeches by several national experts and two IAEA experts. Advances in radiation oncology and medical physics, as well as ongoing national efforts to strengthen the uses of modern technologies like intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and the positron emission tomography (PET), were thoroughly discussed. Participants and lecturers shared the results achieved in environment, hydro-geology, hydrology, sedimentation and erosion studies through the use of nuclear techniques. In this regard, Venezuela's experts showcased the analytical capacities based on nuclear techniques developed by the country, and informed the audience about the results achieved at the National Secondary Laboratory for dosimetry calibrations to ensure reliable and traceable dose measurements in medical applications and for radiation protection purposes. The strategy of the national oil company, Venezuelan Petroleum Company (PDVSA), to deal with the control of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) during operations was also explained.
Roundtable discussions were held on a wide range of topics, including healthcare, environment, food safety and industry. The discussions benefitted from the broad participation of national stakeholders, including universities, to discuss the status of the applications of nuclear sciences and technology, promote the results, ensure the impact on the end-users, and provide recommendations to national authorities.
The IAEA's Programme Management Officer (PMO), Mr Saul Perez-Pijuan, described the long and successful technical cooperation with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over the past 38 years at the workshop. The country has implemented 76 national projects in agriculture, food security, livestock, healthcare and the management of water resources, and participated in 121 regional projects. The PMO emphasized the active role that national institutions and ministries, as well as the Permanent Mission in Vienna, are playing to ensure high project implementation rates with a clear contribution to the national socioeconomic development needs.