Three weeks on and with the dust slowly settling, it’s time to reflect on what was a hectic and very productive 3 days for the Nuclear South West Family at WNE18.
The Opportunity
Going around the exhibition, it was clear that the opportunities for NSW members has never been greater. From new build to decommissioning and from fission to fusion, all aspects of nuclear energy were represented. It was also great to see a wide range for new innovations breaking in to the nuclear sector most notably Virtual/Augmented Reality for training and building information modelling and Drones/Robotics for hazardous environments and environmental monitoring.
Collaboration
The word being used a lot in conversation at the show was ‘collaboration’ and the need for companies to collaborate in order to successfully bid for future work. For example, marrying French nuclear knowledge and expertise with UK engineering capabilities and digital innovation, something we’ve been championing for some time and in response NSW was delighted to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Nucleopolis, Normandy’s leading nuclear cluster employing 14,000 people all focused on research, industry, health and risk management.
New Business
This MOU brings together two nuclear clusters focused on unlocking billions of pounds worth in investment in the industry, starting with around £50bn in South West England alone.
As part of the MOU, we are pleased to announce that companies from the Nucleopolis cluster are joining us at the Nuclear South West Annual Conference on the 19th September and will be participating in the B2B matchmaking being organised in conjunction with the Enterprise Europe Network. Activities all designed to facilitate collaboration and help companies win new business.
If you’re interested in the nuclear sector, I encourage you to sign up for the Annual Conference and B2B Matchmaking as soon as possible, to avoid missing out. It’s by far the easiest way to hear about the latest opportunities in Nuclear, network with key industry players and build your business development pipeline for 2019.
Andy Bates
Nuclear South West