The opening plenary of the 2nd IAEA International Conference on Accelerators for Research and Innovation in the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, 22 June 2026. (Photo: M. Klymenko/IAEA)
From cancer treatment and food safety to cultural heritage preservation and recycling plastic waster, accelerator technologies support a wide range of applications. Particle Accelerators enable all these innovations.
Leading experts in accelerator science and technology have gathered at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna to assess current developments and future opportunities in the field.
From 22 to 26 June 2026, the Second International Conference on Accelerators for Research and Innovation brings together over 500 scientists, policymakers and technologists from more than 75 Member States and 7 intergovernmental organizations.
"Accelerators are a multifaceted tool in our toolbox," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in a video address. "We help countries build capacity, strengthen institutions, and ensure that the benefits of advanced science are accessible, safe and sustainable."
A Technology With Wide-Ranging Applications
Most people picture particle accelerators as enormous machines buried deep underground such as those used at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Accelerator technologies are widely used in everyday life.
There are tens of thousands of particle accelerators operating worldwide and many people have already benefited from their use. They sterilize medical equipment, treat cancer and improve food safety.
While only a small number are used for scientific research the knowledge and technological they generate supports applications in energy, food security, environmental monitoring, cultural heritage, forensics and more.
The conference builds on the first conference , held in 2022 and aligns accelerator science with the IAEA's flagship initiatives: Atoms4Food, NUTEC Plastics, Rays of Hope, and Atoms4NetZero as well as the Atoms for Heritage programme.
It also explores the socioeconomic case for accelerator investment and how countries can benefit from these technologies.
Powering Progress on Global Challenges
The conference programme highlights how accelerators support solutions to global challenges.
Through the Atoms4Food initiative , accelerator-based irradiation helps improve food security by extending shelf life, controlling insect pests and supporting the development of more resilient crops. A plenary session will highlight the role of electron beam technologies in improving food safety for growing populations.
In the NUTEC Plastics initiative , irradiation helps upcycle plastic waste into durable, high-value products, from floor tiles to railway ties, while also enabling the development of bio-based plastics. A side event will mark five years of NUTEC Plastics and highlight progress towards industrial-scale deployment.
Accelerators also have a major impact in cancer care. While widely used in high-income countries, access remains limited in developing world.
The IAEA's Rays of Hope initiative is working to expand access to cancer care by delivering linear accelerators, CT simulators and training to low- and middle-income countries and their regional Anchor Centres. A plenary session will explore the expanding role of accelerators in medical applications, including advanced radiotherapy.
Accelerators are also used in pandemic preparedness. Through the ZODIAC initiative , the IAEA uses accelerator-powered technologies for pathogen detection, vaccine development and biological imaging, helping countries strengthen their capacity and respond to health threats.
Accelerators contribute to the Atoms4NetZero initiative by advancing clean energy research and developing and testing new materials for the nuclear power industry, including fission and fusion energy and radioactive waste management.
Accelerators are also used in Atoms for Heritage programme. Ion beam analysis can reveal the composition of artefacts and authenticate artwork, while accelerator mass spectrometry can radiocarbon-date archaeological finds with extraordinary precision. Electron beam irradiation can be used for conservation.
More than 500 scientific experts from over 70 countries gather in Vienna for the 2026 Accelerators Conference. (Photo: M. Klymenko/IAEA)
A Week of Science, Collaboration and Innovation
The five-day programme features plenary sessions, panel discussions, poster sessions and a commercial exhibition with about 30 company stands.
Experts will share advances in accelerator design and facility management alongside real-world results and case studies across sectors.
Side cover topics such as artificial intelligence in accelerator performance, laser-based particle acceleration and the fourth-generation synchrotron facilities. Poster sessions will feature more than 200 presentations from researchers across the globe.
The conference also looks to the future of accelerator infrastructure. The IAEA has introduced a Transportable E-beam System and is planning a new accelerator-based ion beam facility at its laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria. Technical tours to Seibersdorf, the VERA facility and the MedAustron proton therapy centre are scheduled.
