For over 55 years, the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) has hosted one of the world's largest collections of published information on nuclear science and technology. It achieved record growth in 2025, reflecting rising interest in nuclear documentation and research - with a collection now topping five million items.
Together with the IAEA Lise Meitner Library , INIS provides reliable, open and comprehensive information on the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology for the global nuclear community and public. INIS was established in 1970 and is operated by the IAEA in collaboration with over 130 countries and 11 international organizations.
In 2025, INIS curated 203,668 new knowledge products, and the repository continues to grow. User engagement also reached unprecedented levels, with nearly six million searches conducted, more than 13-million-page views recorded and over 4.9 million users worldwide. The IAEA also modernized the repository, using information management best practices and leveraging AI tools to make INIS more efficient and expand access to nuclear information.
"In the nuclear field, knowledge is the foundation of safety, innovation and responsibility," said Dibuleng Mohlakwana, Head of the IAEA's Nuclear Information Section.
"The modernization of the INIS repository in 2025 reflects a strategic, progressive approach to managing nuclear information resources, with significant, measurable improvements in efficiency and accessibility benefiting global knowledge preservation and exchange," she said.
The deployment of the Invenio-based INIS repository platform in 2025 enhanced the curation, preservation and accessibility of nuclear knowledge. The platform will manage the growing volume of INIS content contributed by IAEA member countries and other international organizations. The upgraded system, available through the IAEA website, now integrates the IAEA Lise Meitner Library catalogue and is available to all.
Leveraging AI to Enhance Operations
INIS continues to expand the use of artificial intelligence to streamline workflows, process new knowledge products faster and more consistently and improve the user experience. AI tools now support the analysis and indexing of incoming content, reducing manual effort and integrating materials into the repository more quickly.
"With the implementation of AI-assisted routines across the information management workflow, we're observing an incredible increase in productivity - we can now process roughly twice as many records" said Zaven Hakopov, Nuclear Support Systems Coordinator and Acting INIS Coordinator.
Capacity Building for Member Countries
To support INIS member countries in building their nuclear information capacities, INIS offers training seminars covering all aspects of its operations, including selection criteria, abstracting, descriptive cataloguing, indexing, retrieval, marketing and promotion. INIS also offers eLearning courses that provide comprehensive instructions on the use of the INIS repository and input preparation.
