The safe and reliable operation of the high flux reactor at Petten (the HFR); this activity involves the normal use of the installation for more than 250 days a year and the management of the fuel cycle under the relevant safety and quality controls.
The rational use of the HFR will be developed in a broad range of disciplines. The major research and development themes involving the use of the HFR include: the improvement of safety of existing nuclear reactors; health, including the development of medical isotopes to answer the questions of medical research, and the testing of medical therapeutic techniques; fusion; fundamental research and training; and, waste management, including the possibility of developing nuclear fuels through the elimination of weapons-grade plutonium.