Many IAEA Member States have acquired accelerators to support their national development needs, both in the provision of nuclear analytical services, and to provide an effective tool for the education, training and qualification of researchers, especially in developing countries. The main objectives of this International Conference on Utilization of Accelerators are to bring together experts in the field to exchange information and review the status of current developments and applications, to discuss new trends and technologies, and to promote research collaboration between laboratories in IAEA Member States.

The programme of the symposium consisted of invited lectures and contributed papers grouped into four topical areas:

Mr Werner Burkart (DDG-NA) gave the opening address at the opening session of the symposium, in which he emphasised the IAEA's role as the only organisation within the UN system promoting nuclear science and technology in support of sustainable human development. Opening addresses were also given by Mr. Bogumil Obelic, Assistant Director for Science, Ruder Boskovic Institute, Mr. Matjaž Prah, Director, State Office for Nuclear Safety, and Mr. Mladen Petrovecki, Assistant Minister for Science, Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.

In his opening keynote speech on "Accelerators for Science and Society", Prof. Herwig Schopper highlighted the importance of accelerators not only for basic science and industrial and medical applications, but also for international cooperation, bringing together scientists from different nations and political systems to work on common problems and interests.

The subjects covered during the symposium reflected a broad view on the utilization status of accelerators and emerging new possibilities. The presentations highlighted the wide and diverse range of applications of accelerators in problem solving and meeting development needs in human health, food and agriculture, environment protection, global nuclear security and nuclear non-proliferation. The trends notable are the emergence of new applications like the use of focussed ion beams in the biosciences and nanotechnology, away from the traditional and more mature areas in the physical sciences and engineering. A special session on Accelerator Driven Systems for transmutation of nuclear waste presented the latest status of detailed conceptual designs showing that there are no insoluble technological impediments to the construction and operation of a proof-of-principle demonstration device.