Cross-sector collaboration – the key to securing a nuclear future?

Britain’s nuclear industry has been held up as world-leading for decades. But, times are changing. Nuclear is entering into a new era. Advanced nuclear technologies (ANT), such as Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR) are driving nations around the world to think and act differently. Britain’s nuclear industry mustn’t rest on its laurels if it wants to continue to lead the pack. Now is the time to double down, identify the challenges, establish the solutions and unlock the full potential of this clean energy source.  

The next generation of reactors will require us to think differently about construction and operation of new facilities. With 2025 bringing positive announcements on the future of Sizewell C and the nation's SMR programme, infrastructure providers must step-up alongside government and client organisations to drive the collaboration needed to achieve meaningful change, writes Rachel O’Donnell. 

A view from the outside in

While the different elements of the nation’s nuclear industry might speak to each other, there has, traditionally, been a reluctance to seek ideas from outside. Continuing to operate in an insular manner risks putting nuclear on the back foot. In Mace’s world of project and programme delivery, other industries, such as aviation and advanced manufacturing, have already expressed a keenness to collaborate across sectors to bring new innovations, solutions and, crucially, talent. And it’s working – drawing on technology first used to deliver high-rise residential properties, the Mace team at Manchester Airport has reduced thousands of components down to tens of larger sub-assemblies constructed offsite in a factory environment, reducing the programme time from months to weeks and allowing for construction in an airside environment. 

There is no denying that the wealth of information and experience held within Britain’s nuclear industry is invaluable, not least with respect to the technical energy generation requirements, but more must be done to take a view from the outside in, as there simply haven’t been enough major programmes in the sector to foster a robust delivery capability. Agreement with this notion by the industry presents a phenomenal opportunity for the supply chain. Companies like Mace, working across the built environment, provide an immediate source of intel, relationships, and a suite of tools and processes that have worked elsewhere. From other highly regulated sectors, such as rail and water, to major games venues that are placed under the most rigid of timelines, the lessons are out there.  

Charting a course with targeted interventions 

To achieve the right outcomes, there must be a focus on specific areas that can quickly benefit. From my experience, and in the context of delivering the nuclear energy infrastructure the nation needs, be that GW-scale or SMR, there are three interlinked gaps we need to tackle first: 

1. Attract the best talent and keep it – a lack of pipeline and associated ability to build a track record has damaged the sector in the past. The announcements regarding Sizewell C and the nation’s SMR programme ahead of the 2025 Spending Review went some way to tackling this, but a failure to maintain momentum will hinder confidence across the entire supply chain and people will look elsewhere for jobs. A confident, forward-looking nuclear energy sector offers incredible opportunities across a range of disciplines, and intelligent people will come.
   
   And we want just that. There is no doubt we have highly capable people already working within the sector, but attracting a new workforce brings the fresh ideas I touched on earlier. A project manager who has operated in a live airport environment, delivering a kit-of-parts pier, can offer the nuclear sector beneficial insight.
   
   Promoting the holistic nature of nuclear energy programmes is an important narrative shift that will help to attract bright people reluctant to make the switch. The next generation of nuclear power stations will need railways, roads, utilities, grid connections and a whole campus of ancillary buildings to be realised. There really is something for everyone.     
2. Embrace innovation to speed up and simplify delivery – repeatability isn’t a new concept in the world of construction, but it remains an arena for continuous innovation and presents the nuclear sector with an opportunity to improve delivery of new assets. This is true across both SMRs and GW-scale facilities, where leveraging tested approaches to commonality from across other sectors can support confident implementation of best practice delivery and associated gains in efficiency and cost control.
   
   Embracing innovation during pre-construction – a period where everything from team culture to constructability to consents are being established – sets the right tone early on and, in fact, offers the greatest opportunity to add value. If innovation is an afterthought, it becomes harder to implement down the line and benefits are lost.
3. Develop a more rigorous programme and project management approach – the nuclear industry, quite rightly, works to one single priority: safety first. This must remain so, but it’s important to acknowledge that tight and careful management of risk does not have to impede effective delivery.
   
   The solution requires uptake of a more modern, more rigorous programme management approach that goes beyond a traditional milestone-driven mentality and considers a more holistic suite of requirements. While there are valuable tools and tactics that enable this – often collated within a PMO and including a comprehensive digital architecture that captures, aligns and presents data in a clear and consistent way – this can only be optimised if a team is aligned on its objectives and culture early on. Creating a shared understanding – between client, consultant and contractors – of the desired outcomes avoids the need for concession. Health and safety must be a top priority, and can be integrated into an optimised delivery with the right approach.  

Unlocking the opportunity with a collaborative partner 

Achieving this won’t be easy, but finding the right partner is going to help. And I use the word ‘partner’ deliberately. The solution doesn’t sit in a report that’s produced by a consultant and handed over to an industry notoriously closed to change. The solution requires a capable partner that’s able to help set an open and collaborative vision early on, influencing not just at the programme level but at the enterprise level too; working with the client organisation to establish the culture that is going to attract interest and input from outside. Doing so creates a more compelling proposition for the supply chain – where suppliers feel they will be treated well and get appropriately rewarded – boosting interest and generating a more diverse response to procurement exercises. Crucially, this increases the likelihood of British (and even regional) firms tendering, adding further socioeconomic value and discharging requirements of the Development Consent Order. 

With clear government backing and proven technology at both GW-scale and SMR level, now is the time for British nuclear to power on and cement its place as a fundamental component of the nation’s energy mix. But this can only happen if there is a willingness build a network beyond the sector and modernise the approach to major programme delivery. Let’s land the messages, find the talent and draw inspiration for a brighter nuclear future.