Can Europe build its own nuclear future? Experts debate at the Nuclear Days seaks the way forward

Alongside new reactors, Europe is also tackling shortages of industrial capacity and nuclear experts. The future of European nuclear power is being debated in Pilsen at the 16th Nuclear Days, which began on 9 September and features a two-day conference, exhibition, lectures and competition.

It has been 70 years since the nuclear industry's history began to be written in Pilsen. In 1956, a working group was established that gradually evolved into what is now ŠKODA JS. At the time, new employees were supplied by the then University of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, now the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Since then, the city has played a role in developing and manufacturing technologies for major players on the global market. This year, however, the 16th Nuclear Days at UWB are not looking only to the past. Their main question is: what comes next? And can Europe stand on its own?

The two-day conference opened with a discussion among experts from state institutions, consulting firms, academia and industry. According to them, Europe faces the question of how to strengthen its energy and industrial self-sufficiency at a time when the United States, China, South Korea and Japan are also stepping up their efforts to compete in the nuclear industry. Alongside new large-scale reactors, attention is also turning to small modular reactors. “Nuclear energy has the potential to become the backbone of Europe’s energy system and a driving force for industry,” said Jan Barták, President of NucAdvisor. According to him, however, much will depend on whether Europe has the political will to genuinely build its own self-sufficiency.

For Pilsen, the debate has a very concrete dimension. “The 70th anniversary is also a commitment to the future. Nuclear Days remind us of this continuity and of the fact that this is not just about history, but about an industry with a future,” said UWB Rector Miroslav Lávička. According to him, bringing together research, universities and industry will be crucial for the further development of nuclear energy. That Pilsen’s nuclear industry remains in high demand is also demonstrated by a new contract for ŠKODA JS. “As the first purely Czech manufacturer, we joined the global supply chain for small modular reactors for Britain’s Rolls-Royce this spring,” said Karel Bednář, CEO of ŠKODA JS.

As the industry grows, so does the need for skilled people. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Applied Sciences at UWB all contribute to educating specialists for the energy sector. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering offers a degree program in Nuclear Engineering Management, while the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has long prepared students for the Nuclear Power Plant Engineering specialization. It has been training graduates in this field since 1963. More details are also available in the latest episode of the UniverZ podcast.

Nuclear Days, organized by UWB, ŠKODA JS, and the CENEN association, will continue until 15 October. “Sixteen years ago, it started at Techmania and on a much smaller scale. Today, it is an event featuring a major international conference, an exhibition, and a student competition,” said Jan Zdebor, the initiator and main organizer of Nuclear Days.

Every year, a poster competition is held for university students, testing both their specialist knowledge and creativity. Students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering accounted for five of the nine awarded places. In the bachelor’s category, third place went to Petr Konop, who examined the possibilities of heating Pilsen using small modular reactors. Jakub Šimůnek won the engineering category with an analysis of the effects of radiation on reactor steel components. Second place went to Vojtěch Šimek for his work on modeling high-voltage motors, while third place was awarded to Yaroslava Burko for her work on a European strategy for nuclear fuel supply. At the doctoral level, Jan Ullmann took second place for his work on the use of language models to monitor the operation of nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Days also continue with an exhibition in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering hall, which will run until 15 October. Visitors can see reactor models, spent fuel containers, a model of a deep geological repository and a radiometer. The aim is to make nuclear energy accessible to people without specialist training and to offer an objective view of a topic that will become increasingly important in the years ahead.