More than 350 nuclear industry professionals are gathering in Ottawa, Canada this week to participate in an international workshop aimed at exploring quality, leadership and management in the nuclear power sector. With many experts reaching retirement age and a new generation of young professionals entering the workforce, these issues are gaining importance as the nuclear industry is undergoing a period of significant change.
Organized in cooperation with the IAEA, the International Conference on Quality, Leadership and Management in the Nuclear Industry – 15th FORATOM-IAEA Management Systems Workshop, taking place from 16 to 19 July 2018, serves as an international forum on management system and quality management standards.
“Understanding how to manage organizations, oversight quality of products and services, and how to lead people effectively and efficiently is not just a key question of this conference – it is vital for success of the whole nuclear energy industry,” said Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of Department of Nuclear Energy.
Attendees will be able to exchange experiences, practical examples and case studies, which deal with leadership and organizational culture and with the implementation of risk based/informed approaches. The Conference will also include relevant and interactive working group sessions giving participants more time to debate key topics of relevance to them, share experiences and to draw lessons from their peers.
The nuclear industry is undergoing a period of significant change: Several of the 30 operating Member States are expanding their fleet or considering using their nuclear power plants beyond their design lifetime. Some others aim to downsize or retire their national nuclear fleets. About 30 other Member States are considering, planning or starting nuclear power programmes. In addition, the nuclear industry is also seeing changes in its workforce. Many experts with specialist knowledge, as in the design, safety or operations sectors, will soon be retiring, with a new generation gradually coming in to replace them.
“Over the last years, many aspects of the nuclear sector have changed significantly and the best way to keep up with these changes is to have an opportunity to exchange views with those who have already gone through this process,” said FORATOM Director General, Yves Desbazeille. “This conference and the number of participants prove how many fine specialists the nuclear sector has and how willing they are not only to improve their expertise, but also to share their experiences with others. We can all benefit from that.”
