Collaboration Complexity in Nuclear Emergency Preparedness in the Maritime Arctic

The increased maritime transportation, flow of goods, and populations changes the risk picture in the Arctic. A recent sharp increase in nuclear-powered vessels and ships transporting spent nuclear fuel and radioactive materials adds new uncertainties into risk assessments and challenges of inter-sectoral collaboration complexity in case of response to maritime radiation emergencies in the Arctic. The research project «Collaboration Complexity in Nuclear Emergency Preparedness in the Maritime Arctic», ATOMEX, builds shared knowledge on collaboration competences to meet the challenges and on risk evaluation within Arctic maritime nuclear preparedness and response operations. In ATOMEX we are establishing the international academic interdisciplinary partnership between universities of three countries - Nord University (Norway), Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics & Services (Germany), supported by non-academic stakeholders — Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Northern Norway. The project aims to generate research on preparedness complexity in the Arctic as well as on collaboration competences through case analyses, collaboration exercises, and knowledge-exchange events. The project will also design a new intelligent algorithm-based model to support decision making in Arctic waters and a shared understanding of risk evaluation between communities, search and rescue, and radiation safety authorities, and the maritime industry through interactive browser-based data visualization.

The increased maritime transportation, flow of goods and populations changes the risk picture in the Arctic. A recent sharp increase in nuclear-powered vessels and ships transporting spent nuclear fuel and radioactive materials adds new uncertainties into risk assessments and challenges of inter-sectoral collaboration complexity in case of response to maritime radiation emergencies in the Arctic. In the research project «Collaboration Complexity in Nuclear Emergency Preparedness in the Maritime Arctic», ATOMEX, we are establishing the international academic interdisciplinary partnership between universities of three countries - Nord University, Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics & Services, supported by non-academic stakeholders — Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Northern Norway. ATOMEX project builds shared knowledge on collaboration competences and risk evaluation within Arctic maritime nuclear preparedness and response operations. The project aims, through case analyses, to generate knowledge-based research on preparedness complexity in the Arctic a shared understanding of risk evaluation between communities, search and rescue and radiation safety authorities, and the maritime industry. The project focuses on exercise methods that can enhance collaboration competences to meet the challenges of emergency response complexity. The project also aims to design a new intelligent algorithm-based model to support decision making in Arctic waters, as well as interactive browser-based data visualization.