Vienna, September 16, 2026 – Cuba’s Minister of Science, Technology, and the Environment, Dr. Armando Rodríguez Batista, participated as a panelist in the side event “5 Years of the NUTEC Plastics Initiative (Nuclear Technology for the Control of Plastic Pollution): From Pilot to Global Impact.” This event took place within the framework of the 70th IAEA General Conference, which is being held in Vienna from September 14 to 18. At the event, the Cuban minister was joined by panelists from Monaco, the Philippines, Argentina, and the United Kingdom, as well as IAEA officials.
During his remarks, Cuba’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Environment emphasized that the country cooperates closely with the IAEA in this area through the Cienfuegos Center for Environmental Studies (CEAC), designated in 2024 as the first IAEA Collaborating Center for marine research in a Small Island Developing State.
CEAC strengthens regional capacities for microplastic sampling and analysis and coordinates the microplastics component of REMARCO, the Research Network on Marine and Coastal Stressors in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Finally, Rodríguez Batista stated that Cuba aims to consolidate CEAC as a regional center for training and knowledge transfer and is committed to actively participating in the Global Marine Environment Monitoring Network, sharing its experience and contributing comparable data to support decision-making at the national, regional, and global levels.
NUTEC Plastics is a flagship initiative of the IAEA that uses nuclear techniques to monitor microplastics in the ocean and “super-recycle” plastic waste using radiation technology.
