From its origins as a groundbreaking scientific discovery to its transformation into a cornerstone of global energy infrastructure, nuclear energy has continually evolved through pioneering advances in physics, engineering, and materials science. These innovations have expanded the scope and impact of nuclear technologies, enabling safer, more efficient, and more versatile applications.
Today, the integration of next-generation reactor designs, digital technologies, and a strong culture of innovation and collaboration presents new opportunities to drive economic growth and energy resilience.
In this dynamic context, the NEA partners with leading global experts from both the public and private sectors to provide trustworthy guidance on the latest developments in nuclear technology. Through cutting-edge publications, high-level conferences, and strategic workshops, the NEA equips its member countries with the insights needed to harness innovation and shape the future of nuclear energy. Activities include:
Nuclear fuel
As demand for nuclear energy increases, securing a resilient and scalable nuclear fuel supply chain is vital to sustain existing capacity and enable future expansion in OECD member countries. This is particularly critical as advanced reactor designs introduce new fuel requirements, such as TRi-structural ISOtropic particle (TRISO) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, whose availability will be key to the successful commercialisation of next-generation technologies.
While many countries are advancing national fuel initiatives, a coordinated international approach is essential to avoid duplication and to leverage complementary capabilities. The NEA is uniquely positioned to assess the diverse realities of the nuclear fuel sector, offering robust, data-driven technical and economic analyses to support informed policymaking. Through its flagship publications - the Red Book and Orange Book (forthcoming) - the NEA equips member states with the strategic insights needed to ensure continuity of supply across both existing fleets and future build-out scenarios.
Advanced Reactors
The future of nuclear energy is expected to see an increase in global power demand with a mix of the most advanced Gen III and GEN IV large reactors and the advent of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
The NEA hosts and supports the Secretariat of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). Established in 2001, the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) was created as a co-operative international endeavour seeking to develop the research necessary to test the feasibility and performance of fourth generation nuclear systems (Gen-IV systems), and to make them available for industrial deployment by 2030.
The GIF brings together 10 countries (Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States), and 1 international organisation, Euratom – representing the 27 European Union members − to co-ordinate on research, development, and deployment of these systems.
The GIF has selected six reactor technologies for further research and development: the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), the lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR), the molten salt reactor (MSR), the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), the supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR) and the very high-temperature reactor (VHTR).
GIF plays a critical role in coordinating international R&D collaboration, sharing experimental data, and guiding long-term investment in innovative nuclear technologies. Its ultimate aim is to support the feasibility, safety assessment, and industrial readiness of Generation IV systems, with a view toward commercial deployment beginning as early as 2030.
The NEA also supports sector development through the Accelerating SMRs Initiative. publishing assessments and reports on SMR developments such as the NEA SMR Dashboard and industrial case studies on SMR applications across the industrial economy.
Supply of Medical Radioisotopes
As medical diagnostics and therapies become increasingly sophisticated, the NEA is actively supporting its member countries by promoting Medical Radioisotopes [webpage link] workshops, events, and reports to help create an international cooperative platform for business, academia, and governments. This ensures the continuous development of a new era of advanced medicine, applying innovative radioisotopes such as Lutetium-177 and Actinium-225. However, the limited supply of these beneficial materials necessitates a continuous review of supply challenges and the identification of ways to prevent such crises from recurring.
Nuclear Innovation
Innovation and technology are closely intertwined concepts that drive progress and change in the nuclear energy sector. While technology refers to the tools, systems, and processes that enable the creation and use of new nuclear products and services, innovation leads to the discovery of creative and strategic applications of these technologies to solve problems and meet evolving needs.
Nuclear Innovation 2050 is an NEA Initiative to accelerate R&D and market development of innovative nuclear fission technologies to contribute to a secure and sustainable energy future.
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