I'm of the opinion that we can leave the production of radioactive isotopes to other means of production. That seems to be the way to go.
I think it would be about a billion dollars to design and build the equivalent of a modern NRU. A research reactor such as the NRU is essential because if you want to refurbish your CANDU in 40 years instead of in 20 years, you need to test material behaviour in accelerated time in a high-flux environment like that provided by the research reactor.
You're not going to have a lot of co-operation from your international competitors to help your technology compete with their own, so you have to do that for just your materials. You also need to study your new fuel behaviour, as well. On a strictly technological basis, a replacement for the NRU, or an extension of its life, is needed.
When I was in front of this panel in 2009, I said that the life of the NRU could be extended way above 2010 or 2012. Nobody believed me, but now we're in 2016, looking at 2018, which is like tomorrow. I think the life of this reactor could be extended to provide the neutron sources that we need in the meantime.