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For further details and to book your place, please visit the event website.
Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to Nuclear Ventilation and the IMechE’s 11th Nuclear Ventilation Conference?
Iain Johnston (IJ): Axima are a market leader in France for the provision of HVAC, Process gas and vacuum systems within the Nuclear civils and defense industries. Our role in the UK industry has been to support Hinkley Point C by providing design, systems integration, manufacture and procurement services. This work has seen Axima leverage the very best of our capability to the UK market and has supported the expansion of UK capability to further support HPC and also transfer learning to the Sizewell C project.
Axima are also looking at wider UK business opportunities and partnerships to ensure we can bring the best of our innovation and capability to the UK.
Expansion of our UK capabilities, employment of UK based staff in both technical and PMO roles, including graduate employment provides the UK market with our experience as a partner and contractor.
We are eager to extend our reach into the IMechE and our peers to exchange ideas and experience to the benefit of all.
What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for utilising innovative technologies in your sector?
IJ: In the Nuclear sector we find a very supportive engagement concerning innovation, mainly linked with gaining more ‘bang for the buck’. As with all innovation being an early adopter brings hesitancy as in most industries, so perhaps it is understandable that Nuclear should be more hesitant than most. So, its not roadblocks we see, its making the case that any innovation is not going to disrupt production/progress and impart any latent faults into the supply chain.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
IJ: I will be interested to understand the appetite in the UK concerning overseas companies investing in the UK market that supplies full turnkey capabilities, and more than happy to partner to strengthen capabilities. Innovation in the digital space also provides perhaps some of the most interesting topics for both new build and also for decommissioning challenges.
What would you say are the technologies or applications to watch for the future?
IJ: AI in the characterisation of waste and remote inspection could offer some great opportunities for the sector. Areas such as drone technology, be that ground based or air and access capabilities and autonomous/predictive working could bring significant improvements for cost saving and HSE enhancements in the future.
The Nuclear Ventilation 2023 conference takes place on 14-15 November in Manchester
Taking place every two years and now in its 11th successive iteration, this two-day conference is the only event of its kind that enables power industry professionals and engineering practitioners from all sectors of the nuclear community to stay abreast of developments in nuclear ventilation within the UK.
Join the conversation about current issues in the industry during panel sessions and contribute to shaping the future of nuclear ventilation: view full details and book your place on the event website.