Abstract :
Scientific research in both the nuclear and nonnuclear fields is, in general, expensive and time-consuming, and the results can be uncertain. Often there are other groups around the world conducting research in similar areas, and discussion and cross-fertilisation of ideas between these schools can be very beneficial in achieving the common objectives. Importantly, the expense to an individual organisation of carrying out a research project can be reduced substantially by collaborating with other organisations working on similar projects, and such interaction also encourages discussion. For these reasons, many international collaborative programmes have been performed and the concept is nowadays popularly termed “networking”. In the nuclear NDT field, international networks such as PISC, NESC and ENIQ are proving to be extremely valuable in coordinating research on important topics, and are producing significant results which tend to harmonise world opinion and codes and standards. This paper addresses the impact of PISC and NESC on inspection in the nuclear industry and considers the way ahead in NDT research requirements
