NEW YORK, March 18, 2009 – The 17th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 17) will be held July 12–16, 2009 at the Sheraton Brussels Hotel in Brussels, Belgium.

ASME, Chinese Nuclear Society, and Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers are the sponsors of ICONE 17, which will address the important technological and business challenges facing the global nuclear industry.

Topics to be covered will include plant operations, systems maintenance, advanced application of nuclear technology, component reliability, materials, instrumentation and controls, next generation systems, safety and security, and licensing.

The program contains 15 technical tracks in all, including tracks dedicated to a student paper competition and keynote and plenary presentations.

Speakers in the program will discuss the regulatory issues pertaining to the construction and licensing of nuclear power plants, as well as the role of codes and standards in plant safety and reliability.

ICONE 17 takes place as ASME celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Society’s codes and standards activity.  Throughout the 2009 year, ASME will be honoring the volunteers of codes and standards committees and subcommittees, including the members of Section III of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code – Rules for the Construction of Nuclear Power Plant Components.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME has more than 127,000 members worldwide.

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