SYSCADE: Nuclear metrology!

In 2019, the project arose from a desire to vary the activities of the parent company while remaining in its area of expertise: nuclear metrology. Back in 2015, DSi demonstrated its know-how by collaborating with the prestigious European nuclear research centre, the JCR, located in Ispra in Lombardy, Italy.

The first mobile analysis control unit for radioactive waste drums

The DSI-SCANNIX-TECHNORD consortium, which was selected by the MecaTech cluster as part of the "Coopilot" call for projects, has received support from the ERDF and the Walloon Region to develop its innovation. 

The ambitious €1.8 million project has produced its first mobile unit for monitoring the analysis of radioactive waste drums. The unit is installed in a 12m long container. By scanning the drums, it can determine the nature of the radioisotopes and the distribution of radioactivity. As the process is automated and very simple, the operator can monitor its progress from the safety of his control cabin, without having to open the drums or even handle them. 

SYSCADE is the first and only company in the world to offer two types of measurement in a single system: X-rays (as used in nuclear medicine) to visualize the contents and an HPGE detector to identify the isotopes present and their activity, using gamma characterization. 

The unit's mobility is also a major advantage for its customers: there's no need to build dedicated buildings or to store or transport drums, as the unit can be moved from site to site easily using conventional logistical transport (trailer). There's no need to invest in purchasing either, as the Syscade unit can also be rented.
 

A small structure with big ambitions.

The sector is a niche with few players, and these few competing companies are war machines, well established in the sector and with thousands of employees. Entering the big league is no easy task, despite the worldwide uniqueness of their system for analyzing radioactive drums, combining both types of measurement. 

How do you make a name for yourself when you come from the depths of Hainaut, when the company has just been set up and has 3 employees?  By doing a lot of networking: "We're champions at trade fairs. Where others are present at two or three trade fairs, we attend 10 a year", says Syscade CEO, Florent Callens. "The next challenge is to convince the first customers to use our products and, in the process, to become implicit ambassadors for their country. 

The first reference is the indispensable springboard for conquering a market. Italy is a great success story. The calibration of the equipment meets international standards. Similarly, partnership contracts are underway with the USA, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and France. The idea now is also to work with major players. We are responding to quite a few huge invitations to tender, ranging from €50 million to €70 million, in which we have a very small part, of the order of €2 million".

Even if an end to nuclear energy could scare them away from the long-term future of their business, Florent Callens remains confident because, on the one hand, their system is relevant both to the study of existing radioactive waste and to the dismantling of power stations. 

And secondly, President Macron's statements at the first European summit dedicated to nuclear power, affirming the imperative need to invest in nuclear power alongside renewable energies and his demand for innovation in terms of waste management at regional level, places Syscade's business body at the geographical heart of innovation.