World Nuclear Association Showcases Industry Leadership at the IAEA 69th General Conference 

World Nuclear Association represented the global nuclear industry at the 69th IAEA General Conference, engaging with IAEA countries and nuclear regulators from around the world to ensure that nuclear energy’s vital role in the clean energy transition is understood and recognized. We championed the point of view of the industry throughout a busy programme, co-hosting two side events, attending multiple others, and holding more than 15 bi-lateral meetings. 

Highlighting the Future of the Nuclear Workforce 

In partnership with South Africa and international stakeholders, we co-hosted a leadership side event on developing the workforce needed to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. The panel was made up of Loyiso Tyabashe, CEO, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Jan van der Lee, Executive Director of France's International Institute for Nuclear Energy (I2EN), and Martin Darelius, Commercial Manager for New Nuclear and Acting Deputy Head for New Nuclear at Vattenfall in Sweden, and was moderated by Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General, World Nuclear Assocation. 

They addressed the need to attract, train, and retain the next generation of nuclear professionals — not only in nuclear-specific fields such as engineering and reactor operations, but also across skilled trades, construction, and project management that support the wider nuclear energy infrastructure ecosystem. They outlined ideas to build stronger skills pipelines, expand both academic and vocational education programmes, and ensure gender inclusivity throughout the sector. They also shared their vision for what they hoped the nuclear workforce could look like by 2030. 

Read more on World Nuclear News. 

Supporting Reliable and Secure Nuclear Transport 

In continuation of its efforts to promote safe, secure, and reliable transport of radioactive material, World Nuclear Association collaborated with France, Canada, Italy and IAEA to co-host a side event at the IAEA 69th General Conference: “Facilitation of Transport of Radioactive Material: Joint Statement as a Concrete Solution.” 

Transport of radioactive material is the backbone of nuclear progress. Yet, denial and delay of shipment remain persistent challenges for the industry, affecting not only reactor operations but also the delivery of life-saving isotopes and the advancement of research. Recognizing the importance of this issue, World Nuclear Association spearheaded the creation of the Denial of Shipment Working Group (DoS WG) at the IAEA, with a mandate from 2023–2026. 

Since its establishment, the DoS WG has conducted surveys among Member States, industries, and carriers to identify causes of denial and delay, and to evaluate practical solutions. A key outcome has been the re-establishment of the National Focal Point (NFP) network, providing coordinated channels to resolve transport challenges. By May 2025, 72 National Focal Points had already been designated—a significant success demonstrating broad international engagement. 

The side event at the General Conference was built on this momentum by focusing on another concrete step: a Joint Statement by Member States. Such a statement would formalize international commitment to addressing transport barriers and strengthen cooperation across governments, regulators, and industry. 

World Nuclear Association is actively promoting this initiative and welcomes the leadership of Member States in advancing the Joint Statement.

Read more on World Nuclear News.

Showcasing Innovation in Nuclear Applications 

The Association provided expert contributions at high-profile side events during the week: 

Ronan Tanguy, Programme Lead, Safety and Licensing, spoke at a side event on “Integrating SMRs and Large-Scale NPP with End-User Applications” organized by the Russian Federation. His remarks underscored the complementary role of Small Modular Reactors and large-scale nuclear power plants and their many applications beyond the production of electricity. He highlighted the need for international collaboration across the nuclear sector to accelerate the deployment of new reactors through streamlined licensing frameworks and standardized regulatory regimes and outlined World Nuclear Association CORDEL Working Group’s proposals for meeting these objectives. 

King Lee, Head of Policy and Industry Engagement, contributed to Switzerland’s side event “Enhancing Nuclear Supply Chains with Serially Manufactured Industrial-Grade Components: Solutions for SMR Deployment and Long-Term Operation of Existing Reactors.” Alongside Lukas Aebi, Natalia Amosova, Dr. Pekka Pyy, and Dr. John Kickhofel, he highlighted how industrial-grade components and a “design for supply chain” first approach can simplify procurement, enhance reliability, and accelerate SMR deployment. He also explored the additional benefits that standardization will bring to the existing supply chains used by currently operating reactors.

This conversation will continue at the next major supply chain gathering — World Nuclear Supply Chain Conference 2026, hosted by World Nuclear Association. This will be held in May 2026 in Manila, Philippines. Registration will open shortly.

Promoting Inclusion and Global Cooperation 

At the opening of the Women in Nuclear (WiN) Global stand, under the theme “Powering New Challenges Through Global Cooperation and Inclusion”, Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of World Nuclear Association, joined IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi alongside Annemiek Van Bolhuis, Chair of the Board at ANVS, Lars van Dassen, Executive Director at WINS, Melina Belinco, WiN Global’s President and Amal Elrefaei, WiN Global’s Vice-President. The session emphasized the importance of diversity and collaboration in addressing the challenges of scaling up nuclear energy worldwide, and emphasized that although much had been achieved to recruit more women into the industry, there was still more to do to ensure that as the industry scales up women are not only recruited but promoted. 

This event was attended by a special delegation of 17 female African students who had won the GC69 Competition, a new initiative aimed at empowering female students across Africa to innovate, lead, and transform the future through nuclear science and technology. 

Celebrating 50 Years of the European Nuclear Society 

The week also included a special milestone for the global nuclear community — the 50th anniversary of the European Nuclear Society (ENS). World Nuclear Association was delighted to join colleagues in celebrating ENS’s history of bringing together professionals, experts, and supporters of nuclear science and technology since 1975. The event in Vienna was not only an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and recognize today’s progress, but also to look ahead with confidence to the future of nuclear energy in Europe and beyond.

As Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of World Nuclear Association, emphasized: “I cannot overstate how important the role of Nuclear Societies is, as associations of individual nuclear experts, in moving forward the next generation of nuclear leaders. There is a role that each and every one of the members of the nuclear sector should embrace: to inspire youngsters to consider a career in science and technology, even in nuclear science and technology. Wherever you are, if the opportunity is right, don’t be shy to share your knowledge and good experiences about nuclear energy.”

This message captured the spirit of the anniversary: celebrating the legacy of ENS while inspiring the next generation to carry nuclear science and technology forward.

Looking Ahead 

World Nuclear Association’s active participation at the IAEA 69th General Conference underscores our commitment to being the voice of the global nuclear industry. We will continue to represent our members across the industry and advocate for enabling policies and regulatory frameworks to enable global nuclear capacity to grow at pace to deliver the clean, abundant energy the future will rely on.