ISO 18136-1:2025

International
Standard
ISO 18136-1
First edition
Automation systems and
2025-10
integration — Nuclear digital
ecosystem —
Part 1:
Overview and framework
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions .1
3.2 Abbreviated terms .6
4 Nuclear digital ecosystem (NDE) framework . 7
4.1 Concept of an NDE .7
4.2 Depth and breadth of the NDE .8
4.2.1 Industry sector .8
4.2.2 Business spectrum .8
4.2.3 Technology advancement .9
5 Fundamental elements of a nuclear digital ecosystem (NDE) .10
5.1 General .10
5.2 Nuclear industry .11
5.2.1 General .11
5.2.2 Nuclear facility .11
5.2.3 Global governance . 12
5.2.4 Stakeholders . 12
5.2.5 Life cycle (lifetime) . . 12
5.3 Business requirements . 13
5.3.1 General . 13
5.3.2 Technical management methodology . 13
5.3.3 Technical information methodology . 13
5.3.4 Feasibility measure . 13
5.4 Integration. 13
5.4.1 General . 13
5.4.2 Value chain .14
5.4.3 Project delivery system (PDS) .14
5.4.4 Major disciplines.14
5.5 Information . .14
5.5.1 General .14
5.5.2 Abstraction level . .14
5.5.3 Form. 15
5.5.4 Sensitivity . 15
5.6 ICT and infrastructure . 15
5.6.1 General . 15
5.6.2 ICT service. 15
5.6.3 ICT infrastructure . 15
6 Collective use of NDE elements with existing standards .16
6.1 General .16
6.2 Identifiers by ISO 18136 series .16
6.3 Identifiers with other standards .16
Annex A (informative) Structured representations of the NDE framework .18
Annex B (informative) Illustrations of using NDE framework terms .27
Annex C (informative) Existing standards for the NDE implementation .29
Annex D (informative) Usage of a context diagram defining the highest-level view .32
Annex E (informative) Relationship between the ISO 18136 and the ISO 18101 series .34
Annex F (informative) NDE configuration and requirements management (RQM) .36

iii
Annex G (informative) Viability of information exchange and integration in the NDE .39
Annex H (informative) Requirements for NDE structured data .43
Bibliography .48

iv
Foreword
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Introduction
The purpose of this document is to define the high-level concept of a nuclear digital ecosystem (NDE) for
information integration and exchange.
ISO/TR 20123, which was published in 2023, deals with the concept of NDE. ISO/TR 20123 documents the
state of standardization of information management (IM) of nuclear installations over their life cycle with
national surveys. It also identifies the issues and needs to develop new standards, specifically for the nuclear
industry.
In order to accomplish the vision described in ISO/TR 20123, a structured strategic roadmap is formulated.
New NDE standards are grouped into three major categories: 1) a strong, simple and shared conceptual
framework, 2) methodologies of application, and 3) the technological guidelines fo
...