The NEA has launched several initiatives to advance understanding and solutions for the back end of innovative rector systems, including small modular reactors and Generation IV technologies, recognising this as a critical element for their responsible and sustainable deployment. A key effort in this area has been the Focus Group on the Back End of Advanced Reactors (FG-BEAR), which operated between July 2024 and February 2025. The group identified key gaps and needs across technical, economic, societal and regulatory dimensions and developed recommendations for a comprehensive approach to address back-end challenges for these new designs. Additionally, the NEA joint project on Waste Integration for Small and Advanced Reactor Designs (WISARD) was launched in May 2025. WISARD addresses critical technical areas such as used fuel and waste characterisation, treatment and recycling, storage, transport, and disposal – focusing on selected systems and fuels relevant to its members. Finally, recent developments in the global nuclear energy landscape further highlight the strategic importance of revitalising approaches to used fuel recycling and back-end management.
He is a member of the OECD NEA’s Radioactive Waste Management Committee since over 10 years and supports the chair of the Technical Working Group 2 on R&D and Innovation within the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs. He is also a Chief Scientific Officer of the EURATOM Partnership on Radioactive Waste Management, EURAD-2. He was one of the founders and first chair of EURADSCIENCE, the European network of research entities on radioactive waste management.
He is a guest professor at the Université de Liège and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
With two decades of experience in the nuclear sector, Gabriele has worked across engineering, R&D, and innovation. His expertise covers the entire nuclear value chain, from reactor design to fuel cycle technologies and radioactive waste management. He has a strong record of achievement in the nuclear industry and extensive experience in international collaboration.
Gabriele is a trained nuclear engineer and holds a PhD in energetics and neutronics.
