£100bn investment will create ‘once in a generation opportunity’ for UK nuclear manufacturing

The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult is helping UK industry capture the economic, industrial and strategic benefits of the nuclear renaissance ahead of the biggest period of investment in the sector in more than half a century.

More than £100bn is expected to be invested across the UK’s civil and defence nuclear programmes over the next decade amid rising geopolitical instability, growing electricity demand and increasing energy security concerns. According to HVM Catapult, this presents a narrowing window for the UK to strengthen its position in the global nuclear manufacturing race while boosting manufacturing, energy security and economic growth.

To help the UK capture more of that opportunity, HVM Catapult is developing a ten-year Nuclear Manufacturing Strategy and launching a national consultation with industry, government, academia and regional partners. The consultation will help identify where HVM Catapult can make the greatest contribution to accelerating industrial capability, strengthening supply chains and supporting businesses to compete in future nuclear markets.

Launching the consultation at TWI’s WeldJoinExpo 2026 conference, Katherine Bennett CBE, Chief Executive of HVM Catapult, said the countries that succeed in the next decade will not simply build nuclear power stations, they will build the advanced manufacturing ecosystems that sit behind them.

Katherine Bennett said:

Nuclear is both fundamental to the UK’s future energy security and one of the biggest industrial opportunities this country has seen in decades. It is a once in a generation moment to build a globally competitive manufacturing ecosystem that supports clean energy, strengthens defence, creates high-value jobs and delivers long-term economic prosperity across the country.

Much of the capability needed to support the next generation of nuclear technologies already exists within UK manufacturing. The challenge is identifying it, connecting it to opportunity and giving businesses the confidence to invest.

No one organisation can achieve that alone. This consultation is an invitation to government, industry and academia to help shape the future together.

The consultation will involve a wide programme of engagement across the UK, beginning at the National Nuclear Manufacturing Conference at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) on Thursday 9 July.

This will be followed by a series of regional engagement events in major nuclear and advanced manufacturing clusters, giving manufacturers, SMEs, policymakers and regional partners the opportunity to help shape the UK’s long-term nuclear manufacturing priorities.

The consultation will inform HVM Catapult’s ten-year nuclear manufacturing strategy and contribute to wider discussions on how government and industry can work together to strengthen sovereign capability, improve energy security, accelerate industrial growth and maximise the value of future nuclear investment.

Professor Ben Morgan, Chief Executive of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), said:

Future programmes based around small modular reactors (SMRs), advanced modular reactors (AMRs) and micro modular reactors (MMRs) will increasingly rely on modular, factory-based manufacturing, advanced digital engineering and repeatable production rather than the bespoke construction methods of previous generations.

Combined with the UK’s unique combination of growing civil and defence nuclear programmes, this creates an opportunity to strengthen domestic capability through shared skills, infrastructure, technologies and supply chains, helping improve productivity, reinforce national resilience and support long-term energy security

Industry, government, academia and regional partners are invited to contribute to the consultation through written submissions, stakeholder workshops and a programme of regional engagement running throughout 2026.

Find out more on our webpage.