UK nuclear industry leading way in Japanese collaboration

100 companies, 30 of which are from the UK, are joining forces in a UK-Japan industry partnership in Tokyo today. The aim is to build ties between organisations with expertise in the nuclear industry to maximise the economic potential in both countries. The event is taking place in Tokyo 17-18 January organised jointly by UK’s Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), the Japan Atomic Industry Forum, the Department for International Trade and the British Embassy.

The UK and Japanese civil nuclear industries have worked closely together over many years, on a range of civil nuclear activities, including decommissioning, research and development and new nuclear build.

Now industry bodies in both countries are taking that forward with a high level forum of 100 companies exploring the potential for long-term collaboration and partnerships across industry.

This is the first time the forum has met, and will look at how companies can further develop relationships, share knowledge and best practice in order to deliver successful projects in the UK, Japan and the rest of the world, to build on the hundreds of millions of pounds of activity already conducted between the UK and Japan.

It will also build on the Memorandum of Co-operation between the two countries in December 2016, signed by UK Energy Secretary Greg Clark and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshige Seko.

Tom Greatrex, NIA Chief Executive, said, “Both Japan and the UK have a wealth of experience in the civil nuclear sector and their supply chains have the experience and skills to complement the programmes of work ongoing in each country.”

“The UK’s world-class decommissioning experience is well regarded in Japan, and two Japanese-led consortia have plans to build new nuclear in the UK that we need for a reliable and always available low carbon source of power for the future.”

“Our two countries have complementary skills and experiences in low carbon nuclear, and we know that partnerships have benefited both of our industries. At a time when there is greater interest and focus on demonstrating the strengths of British industry and taking that to the wider world, as signified by the recent Memorandum of Co-operation signed by both countries, our aim is that through building increased partnerships across new build, decommissioning and R&D we will benefit from the opportunities created.”

Dr Keith Franklin MBE, First Secretary (Nuclear), currently on secondment from the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory to the Department for International Trade at the British Embassy in Tokyo said, “This forum is an example of how government agreements, and strong support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for International Trade can lead to real business benefits for the UK. The past five years has seen the UK and Japan grow ever closer in the field of civil nuclear energy, and we are very pleased to be able to support this event.”