NUCLEAR ECOSYSTEMS | SUPPLY CHAIN


Assystem UK Managing Director, Simon Barber, says: “In a thriving nuclear ecosystem engineering expertise is the vital link connecting industry demand with the skills needed to meet it. The region’s long-standing heritage in nuclear power, shaped by the Heysham power station, the Springfields fuel manufacturing site, as well as a key decommissioning hub with Sellafield, makes Lancashire a prime location for Assystem to position its UK headquarters.”


SMEs and the expansion of capability Between operators and fuel-cycle assets lies the layer that translates ambition into execution: engineering services and specialist manufacturing. Lancashire’s ecosystem includes both, from large engineering services organisations with national and international reach, to independent manufacturers delivering high-integrity nuclear components and systems. This layer is often where opportunity is realised most directly. Engineering services provide the systems integration, assurance and programme controls that enable scale, while specialist manufacturers turn design intent into qualified hardware. Where these capabilities are embedded locally, they can respond more fluidly as programme requirements shift. For the industry as a whole, this highlights the


importance of maintaining depth, not just breadth, in supply chains. Ecosystems with a well-developed middle layer are better positioned to support multiple programmes simultaneously, without excessive reliance on a narrow set of global suppliers. No ecosystem operates at scale without a broad SME


base. In nuclear, the most effective SMEs are often those operating along a qualification gradient: firms that may not be exclusively nuclear, but which repeatedly engage with nuclear clients and standards. Like Technologies is one representative of this layer


within Lancashire, supplying electronics, software and control-system expertise relevant to safety-critical environments. The company illustrates how SMEs extend ecosystem capacity by absorbing nuclear assurance practices over time. Their engagement with skills development and education further reinforces the pipeline, supporting the gradual expansion of nuclear- capable capability without diluting standards. Like Technologies Managing Director, Kate Houlden,


explains: “We are very passionate about our place within the sector, especially when it comes to representing the opportunities that the industry’s SMEs provide to younger people developing careers in nuclear. “We work closely with local education establishments to


provide work placements and workshops. These kinds of practical exposures are especially valuable from the SME side of the supply chain, which is essential in ensuring young talent is aware of the bigger picture and how organisations work together.” Specialist manufacturing and engineering firms also


play a distinct role within nuclear ecosystems, particularly where work involves bespoke, high-integrity components and systems. NIS, based in Chorley, operates across civil and defence nuclear programmes, combining accredited manufacturing capability with nuclear engineering expertise. It further illustrates how independent suppliers contribute depth and resilience to the supply chain, supporting complex work packages that demand rigorous quality,


configuration control and security awareness. Such firms enable ecosystems to respond flexibly to varied programme requirements while maintaining nuclear-grade standards. NIS Managing Director, Steve Rothwell, says:


“Lancashire’s nuclear ecosystem offers a depth of capability that gives the UK a genuine strategic advantage. The concentration of skilled people, specialist suppliers and nuclear partners enables us to tackle complex, high- integrity work with confidence and agility. “What sets this region apart is the continuity – skills are


retained, experience is shared and capability accumulates over time. That maturity allows businesses like ours not only to meet today’s demands, but to contribute meaningfully to the long-term resilience and readiness of the national nuclear programme.”


Opportunity through continuity What makes ecosystems particularly valuable at this moment is the concurrency of nuclear activity. Life-extension, new build, SMRs and advanced fuel programmes are no longer sequential. They overlap, drawing on shared pools of expertise and infrastructure. Ecosystems allow that overlap to be navigated


productively. They support the re-use of experience, the retention of skilled personnel, and the steady maturation of supply chains. Rather than resetting between projects, capability accumulates. This accumulation can occur within a defined geography


like Lancashire. The county’s recently launched ‘Growth Plan’, which identifies nuclear as a driver of clean growth, reflects a recognition of this existing strength rather than a speculative ambition. For the global industry, the lesson is strategic: where ecosystems are already in place, the opportunity to move faster, and with greater assurance, is materially enhanced. Nuclear’s next phase will be shaped not only by


reactor designs or financing models, but by the places that can support sustained delivery over time. Ecosystems are where that readiness resides. ■


www.neimagazine.com | May 2026 | 37


Lancashire’s nuclear ecosystem offers a depth of capability with a concentration of skilled people, specialist suppliers and nuclear partners. Source: NIS Ltd


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