FANR shows UAE’s leadership in nuclear knowledge management

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) hosted the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Level 2 Knowledge Management Assist Visit (KMAV) recently in Abu Dhabi.

The mission brought together international experts to assess and enhance the UAE’s nuclear knowledge management practices with global standards and best practices.

As a follow-up to the initial 2014 visit, the mission focused on areas such as policy and strategy, human resource development, tacit knowledge transfer, digital tools, and the culture of knowledge sharing.

FANR teams worked closely with IAEA experts to review progress, identify strengths, and explore opportunities for further development.

Knowledge management plays a vital role in ensuring regulatory effectiveness, operational safety, and sustainability throughout the nuclear lifecycle – from research and design to operation, maintenance, and decommissioning.

The IAEA supports Member States in these efforts through tailored Assist Visits, guidance tools, and capacity-building programmes to reduce the risk of critical knowledge loss.

“Hosting this IAEA mission reflects FANR’s commitment to regulatory excellence anchored in strong knowledge systems,” said Christer Viktorsson, Director-General of FANR.

“By aligning with international best practices while innovating locally, we strengthen not only our national nuclear programme but also our contribution to global nuclear governance.”

FANR has developed and institutionalised a comprehensive Knowledge Management Framework to preserve and apply critical expertise across its operations. The Authority was successfully recertified under ISO 30401:2018, making it one of the few nuclear regulators worldwide to meet this international standard.

Its efforts include structured knowledge capture, mentoring, digital tools, knowledge transfer planning, and lessons learned initiatives.

FANR is recognised by external observers as having a strong and comprehensive knowledge management programmes among nuclear regulators globally. Its approach spans the full employee lifecycle-from onboarding and development to succession planning and knowledge transfer-ensuring institutional continuity and resilience.

FANR also places strong emphasis on knowledge loss risk assessments and structured lessons learned programs, helping it proactively address knowledge gaps and safeguard institutional memory.

To further advance its leadership, FANR will begin using artificial intelligence (AI) to make expert knowledge more accessible and useful.

A key part of this plan is introducing concept mapping, a method where experienced staff visually organise their knowledge and decision-making processes.

These maps will be used to:

l Capture expert’s insights in select knowledge domain before they are lost due to retirement or staff turnover.

l Train AI tools that support new staff and enhance regulatory decisions.

l Provide easy, on-demand access to technical expertise across the organisation.

By combining concept mapping with AI, FANR aims to create smart tools that support inspectors, analysts, and specialists in real time making expert knowledge easier to find, apply, and preserve.

This reflects FANR’s focus on digital innovation and its role as a future-ready nuclear regulator.

The IAEA also encouraged FANR to expand its use of Communities of Practice, where more experienced staff share knowledge with less experienced staff working in similar domains and contribute to the knowledge base of FANR. This will further strengthen internal learning, build trust, and promote a culture of continuous knowledge exchange.

This mission marks a milestone in the UAE’s strategy to build a resilient and future-ready regulatory system based on innovation, sustainability, and national capacity building.

With nearly 20,000 professionals working in the UAE’s nuclear and radiation sectors, and over 78 percent Emirati representation at FANR, including 44 percent of leadership roles held by women, the country continues to serve as a global model for newcomer nuclear nations.

These achievements were recently highlighted at the 2024 IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development, reinforcing the UAE’s leadership in developing a skilled, diverse, and globally engaged nuclear workforce.

WAM