Nuclear crises are unpredictable – why our nuclear ecosystem must become more resilient now
Global crises, opportunities and challenges have created a tsunami of change and positive momentum for the nuclear industry. We have not yet reached the peak of this wave, but it feels like we are currently on some kind of consolidation plateau. From here, we will either climb further together – or face another decrease in business again.
Looking back, the nuclear industry has always experienced ups and downs, typically in a five- to ten-year rhythm. Even if many current actions clearly point towards a brighter future, experience shows that nuclear crises are not predictable. Exactly in good times we should prepare for potential bad times.
One essential element of resilience is what I like to call our “neural network”, and a very important part of it is the nuclear societies.
In good times, they flourish, but are sometimes easily forgotten. In crisis times, however, they become a backbone and part of our critical infrastructure.
Cross-border academic discourse, the trusted flow of information, alignment on scientific topics, and frequent gathering of stakeholders and partners all have a value which is often underestimated. Even the pure presence of such independent academic networks matters. When a crisis comes, our societies help to maintain a baseload of competence and knowledge across the ecosystem.
They also serve as a buffer for our people. Even if highly educated professionals might not keep their jobs during downturns, nuclear societies help staying connected to them – and sometimes guide them towards intermediate opportunities. This human dimension of resilience is often forgotten.
Therefore, especially in times where milk and honey are flowing, I encourage everybody to support national nuclear societies and international umbrella organisations such as ENS and ANS, as well as similar organisations worldwide, many of which are connected through the International Nuclear Societies Council (INSC) to support global collaboration and resilience in nuclear science and technology. The benefits will come back when you need them the most.
Supporting nuclear societies — at national, regional, and international levels — should not be seen as a question of visibility or branding, but as a matter of collective responsibility.
Strong professional communities help stabilise networks, sustain scientific dialogue, and preserve competence across cycles of growth and uncertainty. Investing time, expertise, and support in these structures is an investment in the long-term resilience of our ecosystem itself.
If you ask me what else belongs to this neural network:
- good and sustainable supplier base, localisation and alliances
- umbrella organisations covering the interests of the entire nuclear ecosystem (industry, academia, politics and capital)
- baseload academic infrastructure, partly state-funded and project-independent
- research projects with a vision to create academic excellence and attract resources
If you have been through at least one downturn in this industry, you know that resilience does not build itself.
Again, supporting nuclear societies is not a question of visibility or branding – it is a question of responsibility.
Trust me, I will continue addressing this topic – online, and in personal exchanges with many of you.
Thomas Wiese
Thomas Wiese has almost 20 years of operational and management experience with a specific focus on fuel, services, and on-site activities around the primary circuit. He is currently based in Sweden, where he works at the Framatome Fuel BU, New Business Nordics. Thomas is also CTO and Co-Founder of the Nordic Association for Nuclear Acceleration, a group of senior executives and academics aiming at launching nuclear projects solving modern challenges, starting from a research reactor to the benefit of academia and nuclear, med-tech and healthcare industries in the Nordics. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the European Nuclear Society.
