The President of the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) in Port Elgin credited the power of collaboration for fueling progress in the nuclear sector.
Jessica Linthorne, NII President and CEO, said the organization's 2024 Annual Report, "All of Us, Innovators," outlines their growth over the year.
"Really building off of our core mandate, which is really looking at industry voice, skill development and industry advancement, again, working together towards a clean energy future," Linthorne explained.
Linthorne added the NII explored critical energy topics through events such as the 2024 Clean Energy Frontier Conference and the launch of the Bruce Power Nexus Research Centre.
The NII also launched Kaizen for Nuclear, a program that reimagines processes, boosts efficiency and empowers workers. It's a partnership with Bruce Power, NII’s Founding Members, and partner vendors from the nuclear supply chain. Linthorne pointed out the institute's success comes from partnerships, including the efforts of their founding members: AtkinsRéalis, Bruce Power, BWXT, Cameco, E.S. Fox, Kinectrics, Power Workers’ Union, and the Town of Saugeen Shores.
"We are really proud of the work that we get to do with our local mayors and our local elected officials as well, coming together and really supporting the clean energy future, supporting our future workforce, and that includes stem education with children in our region, but then right up into adults and opportunities that are being created through the nuclear sector, including the medical isotope ecosystem, too," Linthorne continued."One of the things we are leveraging through the Nuclear Innovation Institute is the Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition. So we certainly recognize ecosystem development and the opportunity because of the production of medical isotope production at Bruce power. So we're quite excited to move that work forward in collaboration with our community partners."
She felt that skills development opportunities got a major boost from their new Advance Technology Campus, which offered programs like collaborative welding training programs, the unique NII Energy Co-op, and STEM events for students around the region. "It's a large building where we are welcoming guests in for different training initiatives and to learn more, but again, working together and collaboratively on innovative technologies and offering programming for our region as well," Linthorne shared.
“At the heart of our work is the understanding that the challenges we face—whether addressing climate change, ensuring energy security, expanding the medical isotope ecosystem, or creating equitable opportunities for growth—require bold action and fresh thinking,” concluded NII Board Chair James Scongack, COO and Executive Vice-President at Bruce Power: