Strengthening Regional Alignment and Opportunity
Nuclear South West hosted a highly productive South West Regional Nuclear Group Roundtable in May, bringing together partners from across the region to align activity, share insight and strengthen our collective capability. The session marked an important step in deepening collaboration across the civil and defence nuclear landscape at a time of significant national momentum.
We opened the discussion by setting out our shared objectives:
- building a clear picture of who is doing what across the South West,
- surfacing common priorities and opportunities, and
- understanding the barriers and pressures clusters are facing as programmes scale.
What followed was a rich and candid conversation that highlighted just how much activity is already underway across the region, from major programme delivery and supply chain development to skills, innovation, professional standards and industrial decarbonisation. Partners agreed that the South West has both the capability and the ambition to lead, but that coordinated regional action will be essential to maximise impact.
We were pleased to hear valuable updates from: South West Nuclear Hub, Nuclear Institute Western Branch, West of England Industrial Cluster, EDF, Hydrogen South West, Destination Nuclear, Team Defence Information and the Nuclear Skills Hub South West. Their contributions spanned workforce planning, Destination Nuclear campaign results, the development of regional skills hubs, professional accreditation pathways, clean‑growth opportunities and the evolving needs of both civil and defence programmes.
A clear theme emerged throughout the session: the South West is home to a highly active, highly capable ecosystem, but the scale of opportunity ahead requires shared visibility, stronger connections and a more unified regional voice. This roundtable is the first step in a wider programme of work to ensure Nuclear South West continues to connect, showcase and lead on behalf of the region.
We will now take forward the insights shared to shape how NSW can best support delivery, champion regional strengths and help unlock opportunities across the full nuclear lifecycle, from skills and innovation to supply chain growth and programme readiness.