The 5th edition of the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE), the world’s largest civil nuclear exhibition, concluded after three days of incredible excitement. The event once again drew a broad international audience, with representatives from 88 countries, bringing together key players in the global civil nuclear industry at the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte.
The event of the French Nuclear Energy Industry Group (GIFEN), organised by RX France, welcomed 780 exhibitors and 23,600 participants from November 28 to 30, 2023, marking an attendance increase of nearly 40% compared to the 2021 edition.
The figures from this 2023 edition attest to the international influence of the nuclear industry and its challenges for each of the countries present at the exhibition. The numerous cooperation agreements concluded during the event, as well as the significant announcements made by exhibitors, reinforce WNE in its position as an essential event.
„The diversity of represented countries, companies, startups, and projects demonstrated the gradual commitment of the international community towards a sustainable solution to address climate change. The recent validation by the European Parliament of including nuclear power among green industries is a new positive signal, as well as the number of new projects in North America or Asia. The global nuclear revival mobilises all the innovative
capacities of the industry, and we wanted these three days to be a tangible and concrete testimony of it.” said Sylvie Bermann, President of WNE.
„I would like to thank all the high-profile personalities who have honoured us with their presence: Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition in France, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Roland Lescure, France’s Minister Delegate for Industry. All of them expressed their support for our industry,
emphasising that the WNE is no longer just a gathering of nuclear industry insiders but an opportunity to communicate and open up to the world.”
WNE 2023, a pivotal moment for the entire industry
The WNE distinctly embodies the international dimension of the industry. It illustrates the growing enthusiasm of numerous countries for nuclear energy and establishes itself as a truly indispensable platform for exploring collaboration opportunities and synergies with other industries.
This year, the WNE welcomed over 1,400 international high-level decision-makers (governmental, institutional, etc.) and numerous official delegations from 23 countries: Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, South Korea, Finland, Hungary, Italy, United Arab Emirates, United States, Japan, India, Luxembourg, Morocco, Mongolia, Poland, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine.
Highlights of the WNE 2023 revisited
It was an incredibly rich program for the participants, featuring over 130 speakers, 200 contributors in the form of roundtable discussions, forums, and workshops.
The first key moment of this 2023 edition was the opening ceremony, attended by prestigious guests who are key figures in the civil nuclear sector: Sylvie Bermann, France’s Ambassador and President of WNE; Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition in France; Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director-General of the IAEA; Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA; and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market at the European Commission.
The opening session, entitled „Nuclear power, a key energy to a worldwide low carbon future”, moderated by Agnès Pannier Runacher, France’s Minister for Energy Transition, also set the tone for this year’s show. Speakers at this session included Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market at the European Commission; Mary Ng, Minister for Export Promotion in Canada; Josef Sikela, Minister of Industry and Trade in the Czech Republic; and Dan Dragos Drăgan, Secretary of State for Energy in Romania.
Other pillars of this programme included roundtable discussions on key success factors for serial production, challenges and prospects surrounding SMR and AMR technologies, future challenges for the industry in terms of territorial development and digital technologies, the multiple applications of nuclear energy and their societal benefits, as well as the diverse skills necessary for the success of the sector. These topics were at the forefront of current affairs and garnered success far beyond expectations.
WNE 2023 was also a place of celebration. WiN France took the main stage of the exhibition to present, in the presence of Mrs. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition in France, its first ‘WiN France Initiative Award,’ a special prize created for the association’s 30th anniversary, designed to reward an outstanding initiative in favour of diversity in the context of international collaboration.
An industry distinguished by innovation and poised to address the upcoming challenges
This year marked the first edition of the WNE Startup Program, sponsored by SNETP and supported by numerous partners. This new program aims to showcase the richness of the entrepreneurial and technological landscape within the nuclear ecosystem and to support the most innovative entrepreneurs in the civil nuclear sector by providing them with visibility and a unique business experience during WNE. Following an application process initiated in
February 2023, 20 startups were selected to join the WNE Startup Program and benefit from the guidance of 24 mentors to help refine their projects, find partners, and gain visibility within the civil nuclear community and the media.
At the end of the 3-day exhibition and a participant voting process, the Swedish company Kärnfull, with the ambition to help nuclear power play a central role in the Nordic countries’ journey towards achieving climate goals, received the „Coup de cœur” 2023 award.
As for the traditional WNE Innovation Awards ceremony, it once again celebrated excellence and innovation. Ten winners were honored in the 5 award categories – social and environmental responsibility, nuclear safety, operational excellence, products and services, knowledge and skills management – each divided into 2 sub-categories: large and
medium-sized enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The winners are listed below
Socially and environmentally responsible innovation:
- Medium-sized and large groups: Fight Cancer – Isotope Production System (IPS) / Lu-177 Isotope by Framatome: innovative solution to fight cancer, using a new isotope production system.
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises: Industrial scanner for pump surveillance and energy optimisation by ITIE, in partnership with the CEA: an innovative industrial scanner resulting from CEA research, detecting certain anomalies in real time, enabling operators to make informed decisions while improving safety and reducing costs.
Innovation in nuclear safety:
- Medium-sized and large groups: Oranef & DosiX by Orano, in partnership with the University of Saint-Etienne and Exail: new autonomous investigation technologies, capable of being introduced into difficult-to-access areas and equipped with high-performance miniaturised sensors.
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises: Elios 3 RAD Payload by Foretec, in partnership with Flyability: radiation monitoring solution.
Innovation in operational excellence:
- Medium-sized and large groups: EGPN (EasyGel Protect Nuclear), a solution for secure drilling and fine particle capture in nuclear environments without suction by Orano, in partnership with BCL Invent: a new alternative to the suction of fine or ultrafine particles during drilling operations.
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprise nominees: Distran ultrasound camera for gas leaks detection, Ultra Pro X by Distran: augmented reality solution for monitoring installations using ultrasound.
Product and service innovation:
- Medium-sized and large groups: Metroscope by EDF, in partnership with Metroscope: an innovative software based on a unique, patented technology combining a Digital Twin and an inferential engine.
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises : H3D GammAware by H3D Inc: a solution that produces heat maps of ionising radiation on visual representations of a space by combining field-deployable high-resolution gamma spectroscopy with LIDAR-compatible area mapping technology.
Innovation in knowledge and skills management:
- Medium-sized and large groups: Shrinking space and time by connecting people – Knowledge management magic by Framatome: a permanent, systemic, company-wide management system for cutting-edge knowledge.
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises : Hapster by Isokan Formation, in partnership with Hamster and Safran: an innovative ecosystem designed to enhance human skills in the industrial sector.
An industry that provides excellent career opportunities
Another new feature of this 2023 edition, the ‘WNE Connect to Nuclear Program’, sponsored by Assystem, Boccard and Onet Technologies. A new programme entirely dedicated to the industry’s attractiveness, which allowed more than 700 students and job seekers to benefit from technical conferences, practical insights, HR meetings, guided tours, and playful activities organised with the support of associations such as WiN Global, Les Voix du Nucléaire, SFEN Jeune Génération, and the European Nuclear Society Young Generation Network (ENS YGN), along with the contribution of 48 exhibitors.
A resounding success that reflects the enthusiasm of the younger generations for this promising industry.
To relive the highlights of the show, go online www.world-nuclear-exhibition.com
See you at the next WNE, from 4 to 6 November 2025 in Paris
Partener Principal
MATEK Build Smart