SVENSK KARNBRANSLEHANTERING AKTIEBOLAG

Their core work

SKB is Sweden's designated company for managing and disposing of the country's spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Their core work focuses on developing safe geological disposal solutions, including deep repository design, engineered barrier systems, and long-term safety assessment. In H2020, they contributed expertise in spent fuel chemistry, bentonite barrier behavior, microbial influences on repository safety, and monitoring technologies for deep geological repositories. They operate at the intersection of geoscience, materials science, and nuclear safety — translating decades of operational experience into collaborative European research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SKB's early H2020 involvement (2015–2017) focused on specific technical challenges within geological disposal: monitoring strategies (Modern2020) and microbial safety influences (MIND). From 2017 onward, their work shifted toward materials science and chemistry — spent fuel behavior (DISCO) and bentonite barrier mechanics (Beacon). By 2019, they joined the large-scale European Joint Programme EURAD, signaling a move from niche technical investigations toward integrated, programme-level radioactive waste management research.

SKB is moving from isolated technical studies toward integrated safety-case research and pan-European programme coordination, positioning itself as a central node in Europe's radioactive waste management community.

How they like to work

SKB predominantly leads projects — coordinating 3 out of 5 H2020 projects, indicating strong consortium-building capability and scientific leadership. With 139 unique partners across 27 countries, they operate as a major hub in the European radioactive waste management network rather than a repeat-partner organization. Their participation in EURAD (a European Joint Programme with broad membership) further confirms their role as a convener and integrator across the waste management community.

SKB has collaborated with 139 unique partners across 27 countries, making them one of the most connected organizations in the European radioactive waste management field. Their network spans nearly all EU member states, reflecting the pan-European nature of nuclear waste disposal research.

What sets them apart

SKB is not a university or research institute — it is the national implementing organization for nuclear waste disposal in Sweden, giving it direct operational responsibility that most research partners lack. This means their research is driven by real-world deployment needs, not academic curiosity. For consortium builders, SKB brings both deep technical knowledge and the credibility of an organization that must actually build and operate a geological repository.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EURAD
  Largest EC contribution (EUR 421K) and participation in the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management — the umbrella initiative uniting Europe's waste management organizations
• Beacon
  Highest single-project EC funding (EUR 477K) as coordinator, addressing the critical engineered barrier question of bentonite mechanical behavior over repository timescales
• MIND
  Coordinated an interdisciplinary project bridging microbiology and nuclear safety — an unusual and high-impact combination for repository safety cases