The Henry Royce Institute (Royce), in collaboration with Royce founding partner the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL), has today announced the official launch of the UK Fission Materials Roadmap initiative – a strategic effort to shape the future of nuclear materials innovation.
This pioneering roadmap will chart the critical materials challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s civil nuclear sector. It will provide a clear timeline of priorities – guiding research, investment and development to meet the country’s long-term nuclear energy ambitions. By aligning academia, industry and government, the roadmap aims to stimulate transformative R&D and drive the UK’s leadership in advanced nuclear technologies.
The initiative will begin with a high-level consultation workshop hosted at the Royce Hub Building today, where stakeholders will identify and prioritise the most pressing challenge areas in fission materials. This session marks the start of a broader engagement process, which will include a series of deep-dive technical workshops scheduled for later this year.
Get Involved
Researchers and professionals across the nuclear sector are invited to express their interest in participating in upcoming workshops. To express interest in attending and help shape the roadmap, please contact Nuclcear Research and Business Development Lead Cathy Bell: cathryn.bell@manchester.ac.uk
Why Now?
The UK Government’s Energy Security Strategy and Civil Nuclear Roadmap (January 2024) set a bold target of 24GW of new nuclear capacity by 2050. Achieving this vision, particularly through the deployment of Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), depends on sustained investment in innovative materials, manufacturing, digital design tools and workforce skills.
Led by Royce’s Nuclear Materials Research Group (NMRG), the roadmap will provide an evidence-based foundation for decision-making, helping to steer both lower-risk approaches for near-term energy needs and high-innovation pathways to unlock the full potential of new nuclear technologies including AMRs.
