Cumbria shows it leads the way in delivering solutions to nuclear challenges

Cumbria businesses and organisations showcased their capabilities in delivering solutions to nuclear challenges at a major UK event. Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) hosted 250 delegates and 50 exhibitors at its recent iSH DECOM CONNECT event held at Energus, Workington.

iSH DECOM CONNECT, supported by Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) Nuclear Sector Group, was tailored for supply chain companies in the nuclear decommissioning sector. Businesses, including those involved in iSH industrial clusters in manufacturing, robotics and digital, exhibited to show how their innovations are helping solve nuclear decommissioning challenges across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA’s) estate in the UK. Some companies are also working internationally in the US, Japan and across Europe.

Bringing partners together, iSH supports growth across Cumbria by encouraging collaboration between industry, supply chain companies and other organisations. At the event, nuclear industry leaders took to the stage to deliver presentations, including: Euan Hutton, CEO, Sellafield Ltd; Gareth Frazer, Head of Manufacturing and Engineering Solutions, Sellafield Ltd; Seth Kybird, CEO, Nuclear Waste Services; and Fiona Bruce, Head of Commercial Strategy, NRS.

The event also provided businesses and organisations with market engagement opportunities relating to Sellafield’s Infrastructure Delivery Partnership, Sellafield Manufactured Products Organisation, and the Decommissioning Nuclear Waste Partnership.

Gary McKeating, MD of iSH, said: “We created this event to spotlight Cumbria’s world-leading technical expertise across our manufacturing, robotics and digital sectors. The event provided the chance for businesses to find out about real opportunities, as well as to network and develop connections, all helping them to grow. There were also 100 young people who attended to discover the supply chain opportunities which will be available to them once they leave school. This helps prepare local talent and the workforce of tomorrow to deliver growth and regeneration.”

Euan Hutton added: “iSH is a key part of the jigsaw of things that we’re doing to help Sellafield be successful. It’s not just about managing the legacy from the past but also setting ourselves up for the future, and demonstrating that we’re innovative, collaborative and driving efficiencies.”

Said Gareth Frazer: “We’re already starting to see real socio-economic benefits and highly skilled, highly paid jobs in the local area, and we want to make sure that we carry on building on that.”

Speaking about the supply chain interaction, Fiona said: “The opportunity for us to network with the supply chain and for the supply chain to network with each other starts that collaborative way of working, making connections and establishing how we can work better together.”

Highlighting the value of events like iSH DECOM CONNECT, Will Newsom, CEO of Createc, said: “I think these events are always really important because there’s such a large customer and collaborator base here. It’s about having valuable conversations and the strong relationships that you can build at events like these.”

Reflecting on the event, Gary added: “I think the key takeaways for me are the amount of capability that we have in Cumbria. There are some fantastic companies in robotics, digital and manufactured products, so to see them all connecting at the event was brilliant. We look forward to the positive tangible benefits that brings for the county, the wider northwest region and the rest of the UK.”