Prospects on future nuclear energy systems. A Generation IV International Forum initiative

The Generation IV International Forum, is a cooperative international organization to develop the research necessary to test feasibility and performance capabilities of fourth generation nuclear energy systems. It has selected six promising concepts to improve sustainability, economics, safety and reliability, proliferation resistance and physical protection. After ten years of operation, several interesting results can be put to the benefit of this collaboration, including a selection of priority topics for the research in the coming years. They show that there is room to progress in the field of nuclear engineering, a technology still young. (author)