Turning ‘Ambition into Action’ at the 3rd Global Forum for Nuclear Innovation

“Together, we are committed to leading our industry in adopting the culture and behaviours needed to drive innovative and lasting change,” said Neil Wilmshurst, Senior Vice President of Energy System Resources and Chief Nuclear Officer at EPRI. “In this pivotal moment for nuclear, we must fully leverage the support, resources, and technologies that were only just emerging when GFNI came about and use these to accelerate operational excellence and access to new nuclear – to truly turn ambition into action. Opportunities like GFNI create space to introduce and incubate projects and to apply ideas and practical tools to constructively launch and sustain nuclear innovation into the future.” 

Since its launch in 2019, GFNI has been dedicated to accelerating innovation in nuclear energy. Leading up to the event, the GFNI Steering Committee published the GFNI Ambition in Action Framework, a research project that examined various aspects of the nuclear energy sector. This research included both qualitative and quantitative data to better understand what factors were helping or hindering the transition from goals to actions. The document shed light on the key tools needed to speed up innovation in the sector.

An IAEA Technical Meeting on Innovation at Operating Nuclear Power Plants ran concurrently to GFNI, providing an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and discuss ways to enhance innovation and boost the competitiveness of their facilities. The technical meeting aimed to promote the necessity of nuclear power in the shift towards sustainable energy systems.

“The IAEA’s Technical Meeting brought together a diverse mix of experienced experts and early career professionals from 12 Member States to Miami to engage in the week’s immersive activities,” said Ed Bradley, the IAEA’s Team Leader for Nuclear Power Plant Operation and Engineering Support. “Through their participation, the GFNI Framework — along with the know-how to apply it — is now available to a truly global community of nuclear power innovators.”

This year’s event also included a live recording of a podcast episode with Abby Smith, formerly the Executive Director of Policy and Plans for the Federal Aviation Administration. The recording was the final episode of the six-episode series which explored insights on tackling common challenges, such as workforce development, balancing safety culture with agile transformation, and operational efficiency. The Ambition into Action podcast series is available here.

For more information on GFNI and past events, please visit here.