C2I 2018: South-West Nuclear Hub delivers access to nuclear skills

Collaborate to Innovate 2018

Category: Academic Innovator

Winner: South-West Nuclear Hub

Partners: University of Bristol; University of Oxford; Kyoto University; Sellafield Ltd; EDF Energy; Atkins; National Nuclear Laboratory

Aimed at providing simple access to nuclear skills and research for UK industry and academia, the South-West Nuclear Hub is developing a number of technologies

With the UK facing strict deadlines to meet obligations for reducing carbon emissions as part of its contribution to action against climate change, and electricity generation representing the largest collection of significant point-sources of carbon, nuclear energy has assumed a new importance in the national energy mix.

A great deal of engineering effort is underway across the country in a variety of spheres, ranging from decommissioning of old plants, life extensions to existing plants, building of completely new capacity (such as Hinkley Point C) and basic research into new types of nuclear reactor.

To cope with the expected growing demand for high-level skills in the nuclear sector, the University of Bristol, home to an MSc course in nuclear science and engineering, has joined forces with a number of nuclear stakeholders to launch the South-West Nuclear Hub, which opened in 2016, which has been recognised as the winner of the academic innovator category at this year’s Collaborate to Innovate Awards.