Nuclear Catalyst 

Designed to guide ambitious business leaders with a drive to transform the nuclear sector.

Nuclear Catalyst partner logos which include: Funded by UK Government, Levelling Up and Cumberland Council

About the Nuclear Catalyst

The Nuclear Catalyst, designed and delivered by Lancaster University in partnership with nuclear industry experts FIS360, brings together forward-thinking businesses from the engineering, technical, and manufacturing sectors, specialist academic experts and the sector end-users to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative solutions for real-world challenges shared across the nuclear sector.

Lancaster University stands at the forefront of nuclear research, drawing on more than twenty-five years of specialised knowledge and innovation. For business leaders aiming to drive transformation and spark innovation within the nuclear sector, our academic expertise offers a powerful catalyst for change.

The Nuclear Catalyst is designed specifically for organisations with an interest in the nuclear or adjacent sectors. It leverages the deep, research-driven insights of our academics—alongside the ingenuity of forward-thinking peers — to address complex challenges across the nuclear landscape. Whether it's advancing nuclear decommissioning and safety or pioneering next-generation energy storage solutions, our collaborative approach is designed to co-create a high-impact regional model for nuclear efficiency and progress.

Why get involved?

Identify New Market Opportunities & Shape the Future of Nuclear Innovation

  • Discover innovation pathways to market through research and collaboration.
  • Build connections and identify long-term synergies with other businesses.
  • Access Lancaster University’s expertise, researchers, facilities, and exclusive funding opportunities.
  • Tap into student talent and research capacity to support your business growth and recruitment.

Funding Opportunities

Turn shared challenges into shared success

Join the Nuclear Catalyst using our online application form

Join here

Key dates

Activation Session

Begin the collaboration journey with your peers, co-identifying and prioritising shared industry challenges and opportunities to innovate new market-ready solutions.

Venue: In-person at Energus, Workington

Connexions Session

Engage in focused discussions with specialist Lancaster University academics to co-develop solutions to the ideas generated at the Activation to yield high-impact IAA funded research projects

Venue: In-person at Lancaster University

Project Development and Funding Application

Work in partnership to define a clear delivery pathway to accelerate research projects that result in real-world, commercially relevant and market driven outcomes with academic and industry partners.

Project Alignment Forum

Share project development progress and explore how individual projects contribute to a shared vision for the sector.

Venue: In-person, venue TBD

Why work with Lancaster?

Access world leading academic research and expertise, through the facilitated Innovation Catalyst process.

Expertise

Over 25 years of nuclear research excellence and home to the UK’s only accredited Nuclear Engineering undergraduate degree.

Collaboration

Long-standing collaborations with Sellafield and Dounreay.

Research Excellence

Access to 40+ academic experts with expertise spanning engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear waste management, digital innovation (AI, machine learning, digital twins, sensors, robotics), safety, security & cyber security, advanced fuels and reactors, materials, manufacturing and management.

Proven Innovation Model

Proven track record in driving multi-stakeholder innovations at place and sector level through the Lancaster Innovation Catalyst platform.

Person typing on laptop

Areas of research

Nuclear Lancaster was recently designated University Research Centre status in recognition of its strength in core research areas including Nuclear Waste Management, Innovative Digital Technologies, Nuclear Safety, Security and Non-Proliferation, and Nuclear Fuels and Reactors. With specialists in nuclear detection, nuclear engineering, and the nuclear industrial fuel cycle, the catalyst seeks to reimagine the ways in which local businesses assess and address the most pressing sector-wide concerns.

Costs

The Nuclear Catalyst is fully funded and is provided at no cost for suitable businesses.

Person typing on laptop

Lancaster University's Tech Catalyst programme provided a unique opportunity to collaborate with academic experts on real industry challenges, leading to research projects that directly benefited my business. The experience was both insightful and impactful, and I’d strongly recommend it to other organisations looking to innovate and grow.

A quote from Chris Mayne MD, Teleplan Forsberg

Turn shared challenges into shared success

Join the Nuclear Catalyst using our online application form

Join here